I’ve been thinking about something while using apps like Swiggy…
We keep hearing that AI will “improve user experience,” but in reality, most apps don’t have a technology problem. They have a decision problem.
Take food delivery apps. The friction isn’t ordering. It’s deciding.
Too many options. Too many filters. Too much comparison.
And yet, if most teams add AI, they’ll probably start with:
A chatbot.
A flashy “what should I eat” assistant.
Or some generic recommendation layer.
But that completely misses where users actually struggle.
Personally, I think the real opportunity for AI is much smaller and more specific:
Helping users decide faster when they’re overwhelmed.
Improving search when intent is unclear.
Making repeat behavior smarter instead of repetitive.
Reducing uncertainty after placing an order.
Not glamorous. But way more impactful.
I broke this down using Swiggy as a real-world example and how AI could actually fit into its user flow (without making it noisy or complicated):
https://substack.com/home/post/p-194499998
Curious how others here think about this:
If you were redesigning a product like Swiggy with AI, where would you place it first?
And what’s one AI feature you’ve seen that actually reduced effort instead of adding friction?
Feels like most teams are still solving for “visible AI” instead of “useful AI.” Wondering if others are seeing the same thing.
No responses yet.