"AI won’t replace great product leaders - but it will fundamentally change how we lead."

Like many product leaders, I’ve spent the last year experimenting with generative AI tools - curious about where they fit, where they fall short and how they might reshape the way we work. One recent experiment drove this home in a tangible way.

I used ChatGPT to co-write a Product Requirements Document (PRD) for a new Epic I had added to the backlog - and what unfolded felt like a glimpse into the future of our craft.

Setting the Stage: I Already Knew Where I Was Going

The feature I was defining was relatively straightforward: the Account Profile section of a new mobile app.

I had already mapped out the high-level framework and key components. With that as a starting point, I fed my outline and some supporting notes into ChatGPT - prompting it to structure the use cases into a formal document.

The first result? A polished, well-formatted draft that added some unnecessarily verbose text (a common AI quirk), but overall provided a solid foundation quickly.

Where AI Added Real Value

I then asked ChatGPT to extrapolate from my ideas and incorporate best practices from leading apps in the space. It filled in gaps I hadn’t yet explored and brought depth to areas I’d only loosely defined.

Notably, it surfaced:

  • Accessibility features I hadn’t yet considered
  • Marketing opt-in flows and data policies that aligned with global privacy standards

These additions were fully aligned with our goal of building scalable, compliant functionality from day one.

But Not Everything It Added Belonged

As powerful as the augmentation was, ChatGPT also generated features that didn’t fit our product vision - highlighting one of the key risks: generative AI can’t yet judge context, constraints or brand nuance.

I had to spend time editing, pruning and reshaping the output before I felt confident handing it off to the technical team.

It reminded me of reviewing a junior PM’s draft: there were sparks of insight and effort, but I still needed to act as the editor and architect.

The Time Savings Were Real

Still, the benefits were undeniable.

  • A task that might have taken a PM team several days was reduced to just a few hours of high-leverage work.
  • ChatGPT acted as a force multiplier - turning loose notes into structured documents and replacing early-stage research steps like competitive audits or feature mapping.

Of course, this wasn’t “hands off.” It required real management at both ends:

  • Setting up the right goals and guardrails
  • Guiding the process through prompts and feedback
  • And editing rigorously to ensure strategic fit

But the return on investment was clear - and eye-opening.

What This Means for Product Management

This experience gave me more than just a faster PRD. It gave me a preview of how product management itself is evolving.

AI isn’t replacing PMs. It’s reshaping the skills we need to lead.

As these tools get more capable, product leaders must become:

  • Editors of AI output
  • Curators of insight
  • Architects of strategy
  • Managers of intelligent agents

That last one is the real shift.

The Real Challenge: How Do We Train the Next Generation?

Traditionally, junior PMs learn by doing:

They write their own specs, analyze competitors, gather feedback and slowly build the judgment that makes a great product leader.

But now, AI can do those early tasks faster and (sometimes) better - so how will tomorrow’s PMs gain the instincts and experience we did?

We must train junior PMs to become great managers of AI.

They’ll need to:

  • Learn how to guide and evaluate AI-generated work
  • Recognize what good actually looks like (vs. want just looks good)
  • Edit for quality, direction and strategy - not just formatting

This is a new layer of skill-building - and one we, as senior leaders, need to model and teach.

Final Thoughts: The Path Forward

Using AI in product workflows is no longer a thought experiment - it’s a competitive edge. The faster we learn how to integrate, direct and refine our use of these tools, the more we unlock their power.

As PMs, our job isn’t just to deliver products. It’s to deliver clarity, direction and vision - whether working with people or with machines.

AI is the new junior PM. You’re the coach.