65: Design—Stuck in the Middle with AI (ft. Christina Wodtke)
From Finding Our Way by Jesse James Garrett and Peter Merholz
February 3, 2026 · 54 min
About this episode
Christina Wodtke discusses the contradictions of AI in design and product work with Peter and Jesse.
Stanford professor Christina Wodtke joins Peter and Jesse in exploring the real contradictions of AI in design and product work: revolutionary prototyping speed versus the need for critical thinking, efficiency gains versus cognitive loss, and loving the technology while hating the exploitative companies building it. She shares exactly what designers and PMs must vigilantly protect.
People in this episode
Hosts: Peter Merholz, Jesse James Garrett
Guest: Christina Wodtke
Topics covered
- AI in design
- product work
- critical thinking
- efficiency
- technology ethics
Keywords
- AI
- design
- product management
- critical thinking
- efficiency gains
- technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Stanford
More episodes of Finding Our Way
- 71: Finding Our Way Live! (ft John Gleason) · April 19, 2026 · 54 min
- LIMINAL—3: The Waves within Waves · April 10, 2026 · 48 min
- 69: In a World of AI, What is the Work Really About? (ft. Jorge Arango) · March 27, 2026 · 57 min
- 68: AI and Design: Fundamentals and The Future (ft. Dan Saffer) · March 14, 2026 · 1h 8m
- LIMINAL—2: Liminal Mindset, Skillset, and Leadership · February 28, 2026 · 46 min
- LIMINAL—1: The Liminal Moment · February 22, 2026 · 48 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Finding Our Way podcast page.