Management Practice Insights
DOI: 10.59571/mpi.v3i2.3
Year: 2025, Volume: 3, Issue: 2, Pages: 58-63
Original Article
Bindu Kulkarnii*, Sukraat Dang
i S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
Received Date:29 May 2025, Accepted Date:10 October 2025, Published Date:15 October 2025
Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for new product development is still in its nascent stage, but early adopters have already experienced substantial benefits.1 A key finding from these early pilots is that AI has the potential to accelerate and de-risk the product development process. Consumer and B2B (business-to-business) products have begun to adopt AI in areas such as idea generation, concept testing, business case building and virtual prototyping. Such early adopters have seen substantial returns, including faster time to market, a better product- market fit and reduced development costs. Yet many businesses are hesitant to move beyond the pilot stage, as AI, to many, still seems complex, unsafe and inaccurate. Recent research by Robert Cooper shows that the integration of AI can accelerate every stage of the development cycle, with the upside of increasing efficiency, creativity and market responsiveness.2 Our essay explores how the reasons for business hesitation can be overcome and illustrates how product managers can accelerate the progress of new product ideas – from concept to launch.
1 Baris Gultekin, Research: Early Gen AI Adopters See 41% ROI, 14 April 2025, https://www.snowflake.com/content/snowflake-site/global/en/blog/gen-ai-early-adopters-report.
2 Robert G. Cooper, 'The AI Transformation of Product Innovation', Industrial Marketing Management 119 (May 2024): 62–74, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.03.008.
3 Konstantin Dolgan, 'Why New Products Fail & How Success Is Measured', LA NPDT- LA New Product Development Team, 14 February 2025, https://lanpdt.com/why-new-products-fail-how-success-is-measured/.
4 Robert Cooper, '(PDF) Breaking Barriers: Understanding the Roadblocks to AI Adoption in New Product Development', May 2024, May 2024, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380664508_Breaking_Barriers_Understanding_the_Roadblocks_to_AI_Adoption_in_ New_Product_Development.
5 Robert Cooper and Alexander Brem, '(PDF) The Adoption of AI in New Product Development: Results of a Multi-Firm Study in the US and Europe', ResearchGate Research-Technology Management (August 2025), https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2024.2324241.
6 BCG, BCG Executive Perspective 2025 (2025), https://media-publications.bcg.com/BCG-Executive-Perspectives-AI-Powered-RandD-EP1-14Feb2025.pdf.
7 Jeremy Bogaisky, 'GE Says It's Leveraging Artificial Intelligence To Cut Product Design Times In Half', Forbes, 6 March 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2019/03/06/general-electric-ge-artificial-intelligence/.
8 General Motors, General Motors | Generative Design in Car Manufacturing | Autodesk, n.d., accessed 1 October 2025, https://www.autodesk.com/customer-stories/general-motors-generative-design.
9 Brian Buntz, '11 Big Pharma Companies Are Using AI for Industry Transformation', Pharmaceutical Processing World, 15 June 2023, https://www.pharmaceuticalprocessingworld.com/ai-pharma-drug-development-billion-opportunity/.
10 ET Online, 'How FMCG Companies Are Smartening up with Artificial Intelligence - The Economic Times', Economic Times (Mumbai), 16 November 2023, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fmcg/how-fmcg-companies-are-smartening-up-with-artificial-intelligence/articleshow/105255215.cms?from=mdr.
11 Keynote Address: Ashish Pandey, Global CIO, Dabur India, directed by Express Computer, Technology Senate North, 2024, https://www.expresscomputer.in/videos/tech-senate/keynote-address-ashish-pandey-global-cio-dabur-india-19-oct-2024-agra/118185/.
12 Robert Cooper and Alexander Brem, '(PDF) The Adoption of AI in New Product Development'.
13 Volker Bilgram and Felix Laarmann, 'Accelerating Innovation With Generative AI: AI-Augmented Digital Prototyping and Innovation Methods', IEEE Engineering Management Review 51, no. 2 (2023): 18–25, https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2023.3272799.
14 Dany Kitishian, 'Hindustan Unilever's AI Strategy: Analysis of Dominance in Fast Moving Consumer Goods AI - Klover.Ai', Klover.Ai - Klover.Ai, 4 August 2025, https://www.klover.ai/hindustan-unilever-ai-strategy-analysis-of-dominance-in-fast-moving-consumer-goods-ai/.
15 James Careless, DIGITAL TWINNING: THE LATEST ON VIRTUAL MODELS - Aerospace Tech Review, 29 August 2021, https://aerospacetechreview.com/digital-twinning-the-latest-on-virtual-models/.
16 Falk Elsner, 'Leveraging Model-Based Definition to Accelerate Adoption of a Comprehensive Digital Twin', Siemens Digital Industries Software, n.d., accessed 24 September 2025, https://resources.sw.siemens.com/en-US/case-study-siemensenergy/.
17 Philip Jorzik et al., 'Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Business Model Innovation: Competencies and Roles of Top Management', IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 71 (2024): 7044–56, https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2023.3275643.
18 Robert G. Cooper, 'The AI Transformation of Product Innovation'.
19 Philip Jorzik et al., 'Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Business Model Innovation'.
20 Chitrakoot Web, 'AI and Global Data Privacy Laws: Compliance, Challenges & Trends', Lawrbit, 22 April 2025, https://www.lawrbit.com/global/ai-and-global-data-privacy-laws/.
© 2025 Published by SPJIMR. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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