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Will AI change product management forever?

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TLDR

In this episode of Product Mastery Now, I’m once again talking with product management legend Bob Cooper about how AI is reshaping product development. Covering recent research and industry trends, we discuss where AI is making an impact, why most AI implementations fail, and what companies can do to successfully integrate AI into product development processes. We also touch on the ongoing importance of customer discovery, organizational change management, and governance as AI tools proliferate.

Introduction

Every few years, something comes along that people say will change product development forever — anyone remember Extreme Programming? That is only one of many. But, this time, they might be right. AI is now writing code, generating concepts, running analysis, drafting the business case, and writing PRDs — the very work that used to define new product development and management. So what happens to how we build products?

My guest has spent four decades studying what actually drives new product success. He discovered the Stage-Gate process, he’s been called the world’s top innovation management scholar, and this October he’s delivering the keynote at the PDMA annual conference in Atlanta. Today we get a preview of that thinking — how AI is reshaping the way products are conceived, developed, and launched. 

Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers

AI Adoption in Product Development
Bob Cooper shares findings from his recent research on corporate AI adoption in product management, which revealed that while interest in AI is high, actual usage is less widespread than expected. Firms are harnessing AI especially in the front end of product development for tasks like market studies, competitive analysis, technical assessments, idea generation, and screening. However, adoption drops in the product design and launch phases, with risk aversion and high costs acting as barriers. After launch, some companies are leveraging AI tools to synthesize customer feedback for future iterations.

Why Most AI Implementations Fail
Despite the hype, failure rates for AI projects are alarmingly high, with some studies reporting 80-95% of AI implementations fail to deliver ROI. Bob unpacks the root causes: Often, IT teams propose that the R&D or product teams use shiny new AI tools, but they don’t actually meet the developers’ needs, so they aren’t implemented. Another limitation on AI specific to product management is faulty data. It’s challenging to use AI to put together data from many sources while ensuring it doesn’t invent any data. Many businesses grossly underestimate the amount of time and energy necessary to get good data. Companies that effectively begin using AI have a clear strategy and goals with committed support from top management.

Necessity of Customer Discovery
Bob has noticed that organizations often fail to do adequate voice-of-process or voice-of-business discovery to figure out how AI could help their business. Likewise, companies, especially in software, may think that voice-of-the-customer research isn’t necessary since they can just build products very quickly and see what customers like. However, VOC research remains essential to avoid wasting time and ensure you’re delivering products customers value.

Governance and Decision-Making in the Age of AI
In portfolio and project governance, most product leaders are reluctant to give up decision-making to machines. Bob encourages the development of tools that not only gather information but help make sense of it.

Bob’s Keynote at the PDMA Ignite Innovation Summit
Bob will be giving the keynote at the Product Development and Management Association’s (PDMA) Ignite Innovation Summit this October. This year celebrates PDMA’s 50th birthday, and Bob has been involved since the beginning. He authored the first article in the first issue of the Journal of Product Innovation Management and discovered Stage Gate, an integration of successful playbooks for the new product process.

Useful Links

• Learn more about the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA)
• Learn more about the PDMA Ignite Innovation Summit, October 8-9, 2026, in Atlanta

Innovation Quote

“AI and product development — don’t give up.” – Bob Cooper

Application Questions

1. How are you already using AI, if at all? What tasks in your product development process could benefit the most from AI right now?
2. Which challenges or organizational barriers does your team face when implementing new AI tools?
3. How do you ensure customer discovery remains a priority with increased development speed enabled by AI?
4. In your organization, is your top management for, against, or neutral on AI use in product development?
5. How could your governance processes better leverage AI tools without losing human judgment and accountability?

Bio

Dr. Robert G. Cooper is the creator of the world-famous Stage-Gate® process, and was named the “World’s Top Innovation Management Scholar by the prestigious U.S. Journal of Product Innovation Management and winner of the best seminar leader of the year at Sweden’s Chalmers Institute in Goteborg. He is also a Fellow of the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA). He has combined practical consulting with ground-breaking research for many years. Besides his best-selling books “Winning at New Products” and “Portfolio Management for New Products”, he has published more than 130 articles on R&D and innovation management.

Dr. Cooper is Professor Emeritus at McMaster University in Canada and ISBM Distinguished Research Fellow at Pennsylvania State University in the USA. He is also President of the Product Development Institute offering innovation know-how and support around the world. Many companies in North America, Europe and Asia have introduced his methods, including 3M, ABB, BASF, Bosch-Siemens, Carlsberg, Caterpillar, Diageo, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Exxon Chemicals, HP, Honeywell, ITT, L.M. Ericsson, LEGO, Procter & Gamble, and Swarovski.

Thanks!

Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.