Companies developing new products should adopt a human-first approach, treating AI as a ‘synthetic teammate’ that enhances but never replaces human effort, advises new research led by Nyenrode Business University.

Approached through this lens, AI will be a valuable team member that encourages and enhances innovation while ensuring humans remain in the lead. Much like a junior human teammate, it’s a valuable part of the team, but it must be carefully managed to avoid risks such as errors, bias, and potential misuse of data.

The researchers, Stefanie Beninger and Dieter Vlaminck at Nyenrode – alongside colleagues from IE University, Royal Holloway, University of London, The Pennsylvania State University and Dickinson College – provide guidance for managers on how Generative AI should be used effectively when developing a new product.

Understanding customers: GenAI can act as a marketing intelligence researcher, analysing data to uncover new customer segments and needs, while human oversight ensures data quality and relevance.

Generating new ideas: GenAI can generate a high volume of creative ideas, but managers must remain open-minded and carefully screen these suggestions for quality and feasibility.

Concept development and prototyping: GenAI can speed up prototyping and design, but human expertise is required to ensure quality and compliance with project specifications.

Launching and commercialising your product: GenAI can use marketing and supply chain strategies, yet human judgment is crucial for adapting to cultural nuances and market realities.

This human-first approach means humans remain responsible for objectives, inputs, processes, and outputs, with GenAI enriching but not replacing human leadership.