how our job will evolve and even exist than now with the emergence of AI Brokers. However let me be upfront that AI instruments don’t change the basic job of the PM, which is to establish the vital issues to resolve and information the very best concepts to implementation. AI Brokers can undoubtedly increase and, in some circumstances, exchange sure actions, and that may be a good factor.
Don’t give in to alarmist narratives of how your job might be negatively impacted. Every PM position is exclusive. Whereas we share widespread features: create product ideas, outline necessities, iterate with clients, GTM, the day-to-day work of a social media PM could be very totally different from the work of a cloud infrastructure PM, requiring totally different features to be automated. Because the mini-CEO of your product, solely you resolve what is required for achievement. So you have to be the one to resolve how your job will evolve to make your product profitable. You might be within the driver’s seat to decide on what to reinforce or automate with AI brokers to carry out your job higher. A current Stanford analysis paper defines a helpful framework for making these choices and divulges that employee need for automation is extra of a defining issue for profitable adoption than simply technical feasibility.
The Human-Centric Framework for AI Adoption
The Stanford examine sheds gentle on methods AI brokers can profit work. It introduces the Human-Centric Automation Matrix, a 2×2 plotting Employee Want towards AI Functionality, to assist prioritize AI automation of PM duties. Highlighting that staff need to automate tedious, repetitive duties however are deeply involved about dropping management and company. An awesome majority of staff within the examine anxious about accuracy and reliability of AI, with worry of job loss and lack of oversight as different considerations. A living proof in highlighting the dangers of full autonomy is the current difficulty with Replit wiping out a whole database of an organization, fabricating knowledge to cowl up bugs and ultimately apologizing (See FastCompany).
This belief deficit logically guidelines out full autonomous AI for high-stakes communication with clients or distributors communications. The choice is clearly for AI taking a partnership or assistive position. The paper introduces the Human Company Scale (HAS), to measure the diploma of automation (cf. levels of autonomy in self-driving vehicles):
- H1 (no human involvement): The AI agent operates absolutely autonomously.
- H2 (excessive automation): The AI requires minimal human oversight.
- H3 (equal companion): Human and AI have equal involvement.
- H4 (partial automation): The AI is a software that requires vital human path.
- H5 (human involvement important): The AI is a part that can’t perform with out steady human enter.
Most staff are pretty snug with the H3-H5 vary, preferring AI to be a companion or a software and never a substitute. The choice for the PM isn’t simply what to automate but in addition to which diploma we should always quit management to the AI Agent.
The idea is defined higher with a 2×2 matrix with Automation Functionality on the X-axis and Automation Want on the Y-axis. The 4 quadrants are categorised as:
- Inexperienced Mild Zone: Excessive automation need and excessive functionality
- Crimson Mild Zone: Low need and excessive functionality
- R&D Alternative Zone: Excessive need however low functionality
- Low Precedence Zone: Low need and low functionality
The framework helps decide which jobs are potential and now have a excessive probability of getting adopted within the office.
Placing the Framework into Motion
As a substitute of blindly following mandates to “use AI Brokers” PMs ought to do what they do finest – assume strategically on what’s finest for the enterprise. Use this 2×2 to establish the areas ripe for automation that can have essentially the most affect and hold your group fortunately productive.
- Inexperienced Mild Zone: These can be the highest precedence. Automating market insights, synthesizing buyer suggestions, and producing first drafts of PRDs are duties which can be each technically possible and extremely desired. They save time and scale back cognitive load, releasing you as much as do higher-level strategic work.
- Crimson Mild Zone: Proceed with warning. AI has the flexibility to mechanically generate advertising and marketing collateral, handle buyer communication or take care of vendor contracts, however PMs will not be prepared to surrender management on these high-stakes duties. An error can have severe penalties and augmentation (H3-H4 on the HAS scale) could be the proper possibility.
- R&D Zone: Have to innovate to get the tech able to automate the job. Whereas there’s a excessive need for automation however the tech just isn’t prepared, extra funding is required to get us there.
Most significantly, take cost. The PM-to-engineer ratio isn’t bettering anytime quickly. Including agentic capabilities to your toolkit is your finest wager for scaling your affect. However drive with warning. To thrive and make your self indispensable, you should be the one shaping the way forward for your position.
Key takeaways
- Prioritize Want Over Feasibility: The Human-Centric Automation Matrix is a strong software. It enhances conventional instruments (e.g., Impression/Effort, RICE, Kano) by contemplating adoption and belief, and never simply functionality. True success is in constructing AI instruments that your group truly makes use of.
- Assume Company and Not Simply Automation: Use Human Company Scale (H1-H5) to find out the extent of automation. Knowledge-heavy and repetitive PM duties (e.g., market insights discovery, data-based prioritization) fall into the “Inexperienced Mild” zone resulting from excessive employee need and readiness for AI. These are additionally inputs to resolution making, so crucial checks and balances are already in place in subsequent steps. Others could fall into simply H4, as simply being a software. This strategy is beneficial in managing threat and constructing belief.
- Deal with augmentation in high-stakes areas: Inventive, strategic, or customer-facing duties (aka “Crimson Mild” alternatives) match effectively with augmentation technique. Whereas AI will generate choices, analyze knowledge and supply insights, last choices and communications should stay with people.
- Core PM Abilities Are Extra Invaluable Than Ever: AI Brokers will deal with extra of the information-focused actions. We have to additional develop our uniquely human abilities: strategic pondering, empathy, stakeholder administration, and organizational management.
The way forward for product administration might be formed by the alternatives of forward-thinking PMs, not by simply the AI’s capabilities. Probably the most profitable and adopted approaches might be human-centric, specializing in what PMs truly must excel. Those that grasp this strategic partnership with AI is not going to solely survive but in addition outline the way forward for the position.
References
[1] Y. Shao, H. Zope, et al. (2025). “Way forward for Work with AI Brokers: Auditing Automation and Augmentation Potential throughout the U.S. Workforce.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.06576v2. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.06576
[2] S. Lynch (2025). “What staff actually need from AI.” Stanford Report. https://information.stanford.edu/tales/2025/07/what-workers-really-want-from-ai
