Creating an AI App: When It Makes Sense and When It Doesn’t

Artificial intelligence has become the trend of recent years. Today, countless platforms across different industries—e-commerce, social media, CRM, and more—integrate AI, but not always for the right reasons.

If you’re considering developing a new app powered by AI, or adding it to an existing digital product, you should first ask yourself whether it truly makes sense. In some cases, in fact, introducing AI can turn into a waste of resources—and even harm your product’s performance.

In our experience as a software house at Mabiloft, we’ve often had to turn down requests to build AI-based apps because they lacked the conditions that would make such integration a real advantage.

But how can you tell whether a product can actually benefit from artificial intelligence? There isn’t a single answer, but rather a few key indicators that can help you decide whether to move forward—or not. Let’s go through them together.

What Are the Strengths of Artificial Intelligence?

What is artificial intelligence really for? Sometimes the rush to keep up with the trend makes us forget to ask what real value this innovative tool can bring.

Some of AI’s main strengths are:

• The ability to recognize complex patterns: AI can identify correlations that would easily escape the human eye, making it invaluable in fields such as medicine and finance.
• Cognitive automation: by detecting patterns, AI can “make decisions,” even in ambiguous situations, predicting likely trends based on data. Compared to human intelligence, it can also process a far larger amount of information.
• Language understanding skills: today, AI can interpret and generate text. But not only that—it can also extract meta-linguistic information such as tone, and adapt its responses based on the interlocutor.

These are the qualities to leverage if you plan to integrate artificial intelligence into your product.

When It Makes Sense to Integrate AI into an App

At Mabiloft, we believe that in the near future AI will be a foundational technology, no different from the cloud or a database. Today, especially in Italy, many entrepreneurs still see it as something to add at any cost, even when it doesn’t bring real benefits.
So, when does it truly make sense to build an app with artificial intelligence?

Mainly when it’s used for repetitive deductive processes that require drawing conclusions from data. It’s particularly valuable for applications with a large user base, where automation can streamline processes by offloading repetitive tasks to non-human agents.

Some concrete use cases for AI in apps include:

However, for AI to be truly useful and effective, it must be properly designed.
After all, users don’t care about having artificial intelligence—they care about having a smooth, intuitive experience. In fact, when AI is well integrated, it often isn’t even visible to the user.

When Not to Use AI: Mistakes to Avoid

If you’re thinking about launching an AI-based startup, avoid a few common mistakes that could drive users away. Misusing AI can harm not only your image, but also your finances.

Start with a clear product vision

First of all, it’s crucial to remember that AI is a means, not an end.
Building a startup without a clear direction and adding AI just for the sake of having it—or because you think it will attract users—is the perfect recipe for failure.

AI can speed up processes, but there must first be a clear understanding of what those processes are. If your startup idea involves repetitive, human-like deduction, then it’s probably worth considering AI integration.

If you’re unsure whether AI fits your product, reach out to Mabiloft to discuss your startup idea and how you intend to integrate AI into your app. We’ll be happy to assess your case, free of charge, through our Sprint Check.
(Don’t know what it is yet? Discover it here!)

Don’t try to replace human intelligence

Have you ever tried to get customer support for a product issue, only to end up stuck in an endless loop of confusing chatbot replies?
If so, you’ve already seen firsthand how artificial intelligence can sometimes be more artificial than intelligent.

AI is a powerful ally that enhances and amplifies human expertise, but it cannot replace it.
This is especially true in fields that require empathy, ethics, or creativity—in other words, where humanity itself is the key ingredient.

Unfortunately, many people still misuse AI, expecting it to replace real professionals—for instance, asking it to act as a psychologist or provide medical diagnoses.
While there are many platforms that assist these professionals with AI tools, that’s very different from eliminating the human role entirely.

Weigh the costs and benefits carefully

Developing an AI-powered app today can be very expensive.
Advanced models like the well-known GPT-5 often have usage-based costs, and prices can rise quickly, especially with a large user base.

That’s why—if AI isn’t a core feature of your startup—you need to assess whether its integration is truly meaningful and aimed at creating value for users, or simply a way to follow a trend.

Moreover, if you decide to move forward with AI, make sure to work with an experienced team that shares your vision. Only then can you build a product where AI is a real asset, not just an unnecessary expense.

In Conclusion: When Does It Make Sense to Build an AI App?

Thanks to its versatility, artificial intelligence can be applied across many industries, from healthcare to fintech, with great results, as long as its limitations are respected.

To sum up, the essential conditions for developing an AI-powered app are:

• Having a repetitive deductive process that AI can handle (e.g., pattern-based estimation or analysis).
• Having a team that benefits from AI’s support, but isn’t replaced by it.
• Having the budget and technical resources to develop, maintain, and improve the product over time based on user feedback.

If this article made you question whether AI is the right path for your startup—or if you’d simply like to share your idea and get a professional validation—Mabiloft has launched the Sprint Check.

This free service was created from our decade-long experience in digital product development and our desire to help founders make the right strategic choices at any stage of their journey.
If you’d like to take advantage of it, get in touch with us.