There is a recurring debate about AI replacing human activities - in coding, design, shopping, negotiation, and medical diagnosis. What we often overlook is that we are asking an inherently probabilistic system to perform tasks that demand determinism and precision.

My view is that we need to redefine the processes themselves.

Let us consider the process of design, whether it be web, software, interior, or industrial. Traditionally, we begin with requirements and exact measurements, translating them into prototypes, diagrams, or CAD models. By the time a design is visualised, significant effort has already been invested. Every iteration from that point is costly.

AI can generate those designs almost instantly. But it risks imprecision, and hallucinations are a real concern.

What if we redefine the process to include an inspiration step, powered by AI? It accelerates early iterations to a point of acceptable direction, which can then be refined using conventional design tools. AI as a starting point, not a finishing line.

The same thinking applies to commerce. Many agentic systems today try to automate shopping or travel planning end-to-end. A short-sighted approach optimises for cost and speed. But in doing so, we risk losing experience, loyalty, and trust - not to mention the strain that AI-driven micro-transactions could place on broader ecosystem efficiency.

What if AI’s role were instead to curate, inspire, shortlist, or create a shopping list? This leaves the final say to humans where decisions and precision are required. That would take us much further, while laying a solid foundation for AI to operate responsibly and leaving room for new innovations to emerge.

We should not try to pour new AI wine into old process casks. Let AI guide us toward new customer journeys, experiences, and ways of working.