In our years building DevRev, we thought deeply about what makes great software. While the AI era has made the tech world obsessed with speed and automation, we’ve stayed centric on software that is easy to use and fits seamlessly into how people work. AI-powered tools can do a lot, but when they lack context, the human experience suffers. I’ve seen firsthand how good AI design can make workflows effortless and, just as importantly, how poor design makes simple tasks frustrating.
The rush to embrace AI may jeopardize what makes work meaningful. While automation can boost productivity, it can’t strip away the intentionality and craftsmanship that make great work stand out.
Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we work and what we value in our work. In an age where speed and efficiency often take precedence, we risk losing sight of the deeper, more meaningful aspects of creation. Craftsmanship — the deliberate, thoughtful process of building something unique — counterweights this shift, reminding us that not everything should be optimized for speed.
Historically, innovation has prioritized scale over craftsmanship. The Industrial Revolution didn’t just introduce assembly lines — it replaced artisans with standardized production, often sacrificing quality for quantity. Similarly, the gig economy simplified services into on-demand apps, prioritizing speed and convenience over depth. AI takes this trend further, amplifying past revolutions’ advantages and pitfalls. While AI offers unprecedented opportunities to accelerate processes, it also has the potential to magnify the unintended consequences of automation, such as a loss of human creativity and purpose. This isn’t inevitable. By integrating AI thoughtfully, we can harness its potential while safeguarding what makes work meaningful.
A Return to CraftsmanshipÂ
The rise of generalist skills is a surprising byproduct of AI’s widespread adoption. In an era when liberal arts generalists fell out of favor and were replaced by highly specialized doctorate-educated professionals, AI is bringing back the value of broad, interdisciplinary knowledge. In the pre-AI world, specialization was the key to career success — becoming a domain expert often meant job security and higher pay. But now, AI’s ability to democratize tasks like coding, writing, and design is blurring the lines between specialists and generalists. Tools that generate campaign copy or automate complex workflows mean anyone can perform tasks once reserved for experts.
This shift challenges traditional career trajectories. Specialists now face competition not just from peers but from AI itself, while generalists who can integrate technical, creative, and emotional intelligence skills are emerging as the new linchpins of innovation. These hybrid professionals bring a unique perspective, blending broad knowledge with adaptability and problem-solving skills that AI cannot replicate.
But this transition isn’t without challenges. The democratization of skills risks commodifying work, where outputs become interchangeable and devoid of personal touch. Here, craftsmanship becomes vital — not as a relic of the past but as a guiding principle for the future. Craftsmanship focuses on creating with care, ensuring the outputs are distinctive and infused with purpose, not just produced for efficiency. The intentional, thoughtful human touch will be the differentiator in a world where AI can generate content or solve problems in seconds. This isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s a practical approach to preserving the value of individuality in an increasingly homogenized landscape.
The Danger of Instant AI Outputs
I’ve tested AI tools that generate product definitions, pitch decks, and even code snippets in seconds. While they are great at appearing complete, they fail to deliver true creativity in their suggestions. I remember reviewing an AI-generated product strategy document that looked polished on its surface but failed to truly define how to account for user behavior that no algorithm could anticipate. It was a reminder that while AI can speed up execution, it still needs human oversight to ensure depth, nuance, and real-world usability.
AI’s ability to generate instant results offers convenience, but at what cost? The dopamine rush of fast outputs — auto-generated designs, pre-written emails, or predictive analytics — comes with the risk of losing depth and understanding. AI’s instant results can create an illusion of productivity while potentially diminishing the creative and emotional resonance of the final output. Much like fast fashion produces disposable goods that lack durability, fast outputs in the AI era risk creating shallow or uninspired work. Instead, The focus should shift to balancing speed with intentionality — producing efficient but also meaningful and enduring work.
Craftsmanship, by contrast, embraces the imperfections and individuality that come from a human touch. It values the time and care required to create something genuinely meaningful, which might mean prioritizing fewer, more impactful projects rather than churning out endless iterations. It’s about trading the rush of instant results for the lasting value of work done with care.
Consider a master chef crafting a signature dish. While technology can assist in perfecting techniques or sourcing ingredients, the chef’s personal touch, creativity, and understanding of flavors transform a meal into a memorable experience. In the AI era, businesses that infuse such human artistry into their offerings will stand out.
Intentionality as a Business StrategyÂ
In the AI era, craftsmanship isn’t just about personal fulfillment — it represents a strategic advantage that sets businesses apart. Companies prioritizing quality and intentionality will differentiate themselves in a landscape where mass-produced, AI-generated work becomes the norm. Customers and clients can sense when a product or service has been thoughtfully crafted versus when it’s been churned out to meet a deadline.
Consider a luxury fashion brand like Hermès, renowned for its handcrafted leather goods. Each piece, from a Birkin bag to a custom saddle, is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans, ensuring no two items are identical. This dedication to quality and individuality transforms their products from functional accessories into timeless works of art. In the AI era, businesses that focus similarly on craftsmanship and attention to detail will set themselves apart in a landscape increasingly dominated by mass production.
Intentionality also extends to team dynamics. While AI can automate routine tasks and streamline workflows, leaders must decide where human input adds the most value. Encouraging teams to slow down, think critically, and focus on high-impact work can counterbalance the pressure to do more, faster.
Slowing Down to Move Forward
The best software platforms don’t skip the hard problems. Creating hard-to-copy differentiation takes months of thought, experimentation, and years of iteration. At DevRev, we’ve spent years iterating on the enterprise knowledge graph concept, not because AI wasn’t fast enough but because innovation comes from solving the challenges that appear too daunting to tackle first. In my career, breakthroughs have happened when we sacrificed speed for craftsmanship and long-term architecture design.
The future of work is about deciding where AI fits and where human craftsmanship must remain. Not everything benefits from acceleration. Activities that seem inefficient, like brainstorming ideas or refining a product over multiple iterations, often yield the most impactful results.
Organizations that embrace this philosophy will thrive. They’ll use AI to handle routine and repetitive tasks, freeing up their teams to focus on work that requires creativity, empathy, and thoughtfulness. They’ll invest in generalist skills and hybrid professionals who can navigate complexity with technical expertise and human insight.
In an era of speed and scale, slowing down is the most revolutionary act. It’s not about rejecting AI but using it to enhance the human touch rather than replace it. By prioritizing craftsmanship and intentionality, we can create work that meets immediate needs and leaves a lasting impact.
And it won’t be easy. After all, we don’t tell stories or write novels about the roller coaster ride; we craft and share memories about struggles and hardships — not because we enjoy hearing about people’s pain, but because it’s right there, where pain creates calluses and steel sharpens the knife, that forges lasting experiences we can share, tell, and remember. In the age of AI, the human touch — where we know the time, care, and effort was put in — will make and shape the next generation of companies that will write feel-good stories about AI’s impact on society.
The post Preserving Craft in the Era of AI appeared first on The New Stack.
