Microsoft VP Aparna Chennapragada, who recruited me to Microsoft after I reported to her at Google, recently wrote a thoughtful piece about building trust through transparency. Specifically around AI agents, we want less of this…

…and more of this:

I agree completely. Having some thoughtful back-and-forth makes me feel better understood & therefore more confident in my assistant’s work.

And feel here is a big deal. As Maya Angelou said, “People won’t remember what you said, or even what you did, but they’ll remember how you made them *feel*. Microsoft AI leader (and previously DeepMind cofounder) Mustafa Suleyman totally gets this.

Conversely, I just saw a founder advertising his product as “visual storytelling on autopilot.” I get the intent, but I find the phrasing oxymoronic: would any worthwhile “story” be generated by autopilot? Yuck.

When apps try to do too much with my sparse input, seeing the results makes me feel like Neven Mrgan did upon receiving AI-generated slop from a friend: “I was repelled, as if digital anthrax had poured out of the app.” I don’t even want to read such content, much less share it, much less be judged on it.

So yeah, apps: ditch autopilot & instead take the time to show interest & ask good questions. “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast”—and a little thoughtfulness up front will save me time while increasing my pride of ownership.