SaaS vendors cramming unwanted AI features into products drives user backlash and churn

SaaS products are adding AI features not because users requested them but because investors and marketing demand it. Users paying for simple, fast, focused tools are frustrated when AI overlays slow down or complicate workflows. A November 2025 HN post titled 'Don't push AI down our throats' drew 431 points and 54 comments from users fed up with AI being inserted into tools they use for non-AI workflows. A February 2026 HN thread asked how to sell SaaS without AI features, showing founders feel pressure to add AI even when their customers don't want it. The underlying pain: buyers of focused tools (CRMs, project managers, invoicing) increasingly face bloat and price hikes tied to AI features they opted out of. This creates a market gap for lightweight, AI-optional versions of common SaaS categories.