When AI Does the Thinking, Who Does the Understanding?
Techstrong.ai, Tuesday, October 13th, 2026
Organizations can outsource analysis to AI but not understanding; without traceable evidence, teams risk 'cognitive surrender'.
Stu Sjouwerman notes that nearly nine in ten organizations use AI regularly, according to McKinsey's 2026 State of AI report, including for customer research tasks such as interviews and transcript coding.
But AI is a black box: an AI that pulls three themes from 500 interviews is useful, yet without knowing which conversations and quotes support each conclusion, the result can't be verified.
He warns of 'cognitive surrender', when people accept AI outputs as their own judgment and let speed stand in for confidence.
For pricing, positioning and product decisions, he urges teams to demand traceable evidence behind AI conclusions.