Integrating AI into the Front End of New Product Development

This study explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the fuzzy front end (FFE) of new product development (NPD). Using the AI-augmented LUCID platform, we demonstrate how large-scale customer data can be synthesized to enhance decision-making, accelerate concept development, and improve product evaluation efficiency. While traditional NPD methods are time-intensive and rely heavily on subjective expertise, AI streamlines the process by generating and evaluating thousands of design options in real time. Our findings show that AI augments human expertise by identifying critical insights within vast datasets, uncovering previously overlooked opportunities. Adopting AI to optimize NPD workflows can help companies improve both precision and speed in product development. We offer practical guidance for innovation practitioners looking to integrate AI into NPD processes.