Amplitude vs SurveyMonkey

How to Become an AI Designer

A practical guide by Maya Brennan (published 2026-08-15) describing how product designers can adopt AI-native workflows. The author recounts joining Amplitude and moving from Figma-centric design to rapid "vibecoded" HTML prototypes created with AI agents, using tools such as Claude (Anthropic), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Cursor, V0 and Lovable. Key recommendations: treat production as the Source of Truth, gain access to the codebase and ship PRs as a designer, start small with coding agents or bots in messaging workspaces, and systematize polish work to avoid endless UI nitpicks. The piece also reflects on the personal trade-offs of speed vs. craft and encourages designers to share learnings and advocate for cross-discipline support within EPD teams.

• Article published by Maya Brennan on 2026-08-15.
• Author joined Amplitude to design Agent Analytics and began shipping frontend PRs.
• Author advocates replacing some Figma workflows with quick AI-generated HTML prototypes ('vibecoding') using AI agents (e.g., Claude/Claude Design).

Brands revive human-staffed phone lines amid AI fatigue

Amid growing consumer frustration with AI customer service, several direct-to-consumer brands like Sproos, Made In, and Trade Coffee are reintroducing human-staffed phone lines as a differentiator. A SurveyMonkey study found that 79% of Americans prefer human interaction over AI agents. These brands report increased customer loyalty and deeper insights into customer journeys through phone conversations. The trend highlights a backlash against over-automation and a strategic move to blend human touch with digital efficiency, with some brands even training staff to provide expert advice and sharing call insights with marketing teams.

• 79% of Americans strongly prefer interacting with a human over an AI agent (SurveyMonkey study).
• Sproos, a DTC showerhead brand, launched a human-staffed phone line on Sundays through Fridays, receiving about 30 calls per day.
• Made In cookware operates an AI chatbot but also maintains a phone line, with staff using FaceTime and Zoom for customer assistance.

EU AI Act Disclosure Rules Shape Customer Service Bot Decisions

This CMSWire article examines how brands should determine when to use AI versus human agents in customer service, citing MIT research showing human-AI combinations often underperform the best human-only or AI-only systems. Consumer studies indicate a strong preference for humans in high-stakes interactions, but acceptance of AI for transactional tasks. The EU AI Act Article 50 transparency obligations, effective August 2, 2026, require clear disclosure when interacting with AI. The article argues that transparency, when done well, builds trust and can expand AI's role over time. It offers a framework based on friction, conditional preference, transparency, and frontline knowledge to guide where AI should handle interactions, emphasizing process redesign over simple task reassignment.

• EU AI Act Article 50 transparency obligations require clear disclosure when interacting with AI, effective August 2, 2026.
• MIT Center for Collective Intelligence reviewed 106 experiments and found human-AI combinations underperformed the best human-only or AI-only systems on average.
• Metrigy's 2025-26 consumer study found 84.7% prefer human agents, but 46% will use AI for specific transactional tasks.

SurveyMonkey announces 40 #1 rankings in G2’s Fall 2026 reports

SurveyMonkey announces 40 #1 rankings in G2’s Fall 2026 reports August 27, 2026