Training Practitioners for Real-time Product Development Using Generative Artificial Intelligence

A workshop to train practitioners in real-time new product development (NPD) using generative artificial intelligence (AI) was conducted. Three teams of graduate students in Engineering and Technology Management (many with work experience as managers and engineers) were given minimalist instructions to develop a product concept and a preliminary marketing plan for a product of their choosing within six hours using ChatGPT, search engines, and other Internet-based tools. The product was to be novel, and the plan was to include customer identification, market analysis, generating personas, and a 15-minute presentation at the end of the workshop. The goal was to 'inspire a sales force'. A panel of judges, which included the authors and an external marketing professional, determined the strengths, weaknesses, and viability of the development efforts of the teams. The results of the workshop validated the utility of AI in NPD for multiple industries. The panel rated the output of the effort of the teams as ‘highly creative’ and potentially viable in the real world. The most significant contribution of the workshop was demonstrating the speed at which product development activity could be performed.