AI UX Is Failing—And We’re All Paying the Price

Let’s be blunt: the current state of AI user experience is a dumpster fire.

The industry’s relentless race to push AI-powered products out the door has left actual users in the dust. Companies are so obsessed with getting an MVP to market that they forget the “V” in MVP stands for “viable.” Instead, we’re handed half-baked interfaces, convoluted workflows, and subscription models that make simple one-off AI needs a bureaucratic nightmare. AI is supposed to be the future, yet interacting with many of these platforms feels like being transported back to the clunky interfaces of 2005.

The UX Wasteland of AI Apps

Try getting support when an AI tool fails. I dare you. For many users, the experience is like yelling into the void. Sparse documentation, buried contact options, and chatbots that are about as helpful as a Magic 8-Ball all add up to frustration. AI companies brag about reducing human intervention, but in doing so, they’ve made basic problem-solving an exhausting ordeal.

Then there’s the actual UI. How many AI apps have you seen that feel like someone took a wireframe from 2010 and called it a day? Buttons are scattered, navigation is an afterthought, and accessibility? Barely considered. Instead of thoughtful, intuitive design, we get workflows that demand multiple steps to accomplish basic tasks, leading to massive user fatigue. This is where companies are bleeding money—users churn because they’re wasting time trying to navigate a tool that should be making their lives easier, not harder.

The subscription model is another mess. AI companies are forcing users into monthly commitments for features they’ll use once. Need to run a few images through a generative AI? That’ll be $20 a month, even if you only need it for an hour. This isn’t a sustainable model, and users are getting fed up.

And let’s talk about consolidation. If history has taught us anything, it’s that bloated, fragmented markets eventually collapse under their own weight. Remember the search engine wars of the mid-90s? The app explosion of the 2010s? The AI space is heading for the same fate. When the dust settles, only the platforms that get UX right will still be standing.

AI Content Tools: Where Efficiency Goes to Die

Look at the current crop of AI-driven content creation tools, and you’ll see the same UX sins repeated across the board. Platforms like Jasper, Pika, Kaiber, InVideo, Pictory, and Plus AI all suffer from overcomplicated workflows, cluttered interfaces, and subscription models that don’t match real user needs.

• Jasper buries core features behind layers of unnecessary clicks, making simple copy generation an exercise in patience.

• Pika and Kaiber force creatives to wrestle with interfaces designed for engineers, not actual users trying to create AI-generated video.

• InVideo and Pictory turn video editing into a maze of convoluted menus, where every simple tweak requires a hunt through poorly organized options.

• Plus AI makes something as straightforward as building a deck a frustrating experience by forcing users to work with extensions with a UI out of 1998.

These tools—along with many others across the AI landscape—should be designed to empower, not exhaust users. Instead, far too many add friction at every turn, forcing people to adapt to flawed design rather than delivering an experience that feels intuitive. If companies don’t fix their UX issues, they’ll struggle to survive when the inevitable consolidation wave hits.

Fixing This Mess: Solutions for AI UX

AI is powerful, but its potential is being squandered by poor UX. Here’s how companies can turn this around before they become obsolete:

1. Hire UX Designers and Writers Who Actually Have a Voice It’s not enough to have UX designers who just push pixels. They need a seat at the table during user story planning. The best designers and UX writers aren’t just executors—they advocate for the user. Give them influence over workflows, information architecture, and onboarding.

2. Invest in Real User Testing and Field Research Stop designing in a vacuum. Conduct usability studies with actual customers, not just internal teams who already understand the product. Observe real users struggling with your AI tool in the wild. You’ll learn more in one week of field research than in months of internal debates.

3. Simplify Workflows—Every Click Matters If a user has to take more than three steps to accomplish a core task, rethink the flow. AI should reduce friction, not add to it. Fewer unnecessary menus, fewer redundant confirmations, and fewer surprises in functionality.

4. Improve Customer Support and Documentation AI might be automated, but users still need human help when things go wrong. Offer accessible support options—clear FAQs, live chat with real humans, and documentation that doesn’t read like an engineering manual.

5. Rework Subscription Models for Flexibility AI tools shouldn’t force users into monthly commitments for occasional use. Pay-as-you-go models, usage-based billing, or even reasonable one-time fees will keep users engaged rather than pushing them toward alternatives.

The Future: AI That Works for Humans

AI has the potential to revolutionize industries, but without a strong UX foundation, its impact will be hindered by frustration and inefficiency rather than reaching its full potential. Companies that prioritize user experience will be the ones that lead the inevitable consolidation wave, while those that ignore it will become the Ask Jeeves of AI.

This isn’t just about aesthetics or usability—it’s about survival. Businesses that invest in thoughtful, user-centered AI design will be the ones that shape the future. The rest? They’ll be buried in the past, alongside their terrible interfaces and unhelpful chatbots.

The choice is clear: evolve or fade away.