How ProductHunt.com Became Overrun with AI Products

If you’ve ever been a fan of Product Hunt, you probably remember the excitement of finding something genuinely cool—a new app, a fresh productivity tool, or a clever gadget that made you think, Wow, I didn’t know I needed this!

For years, it was the go-to place to discover the latest in tech and innovation. But recently, it feels like every time you log in, all you see is… yet another AI product.

And not just groundbreaking AI stuff, either. We’re talking dozens of AI chatbots, text generators, image creators, and tools that all feel oddly familiar, like they were made from the same cookie-cutter mold.

If you’ve been thinking, What’s going on with Product Hunt?, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about how this happened, why it’s making the platform less fun to use, and what (if anything) can be done to fix it.

The Rise of AI Everywhere (Including Product Hunt)

AI is the Cool Kid in Tech Right Now

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve noticed that AI has taken over the tech world. Tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and MidJourney kicked off an AI gold rush.

Suddenly, everyone wanted to build something powered by artificial intelligence. It’s exciting! AI is changing the game in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. But that excitement also has a downside: everyone is trying to cash in on the trend.

For Product Hunt, this meant an explosion of AI products hitting the platform. Why? Because the audience—early adopters and tech enthusiasts—are exactly the kind of people who love testing shiny new AI tools. Makers knew they had a built-in audience hungry for these launches.

It’s Easy to Build AI Tools Now

Here’s the kicker: creating an AI product has never been easier. Thanks to APIs and open-source models from companies like OpenAI, anyone with basic coding skills can whip up an AI-powered tool.

This has led to an avalanche of products that are, let’s be honest, kind of the same. Want to make an AI chatbot? Done. How about an AI tool that writes tweets? Easy. The result? Product Hunt is now flooded with products that don’t feel all that innovative.

The Upvote Hype Machine

On Product Hunt, upvotes are king. The more upvotes a product gets early on, the more visible it becomes. AI products—because they’re trendy—often get a lot of attention right out of the gate.

This creates a snowball effect where the same kinds of products keep rising to the top. And if you’re launching something not related to AI? Good luck getting noticed.

Why It’s Making Product Hunt Unusable

It’s All AI, All the Time

Remember when Product Hunt felt like a treasure hunt? You’d find tools for productivity, health tech, niche SaaS, or even quirky gadgets.

Now it feels like the same AI tools over and over again. It’s like going to a buffet only to find 10 different variations of spaghetti. Sure, spaghetti is great, but where’s the variety?

The Quality Problem

Let’s be real: not every AI product is a game-changer. Many of them feel rushed or half-baked, with functionality that’s more “meh” than mind-blowing.

And because they’re built on the same underlying tech, they all start to blend together. It’s hard to get excited about “yet another AI content generator” when you’ve already seen 15 of them this week.

Too Much Noise

With so many similar products, it’s hard to find the genuinely good stuff. Even the truly innovative AI tools struggle to stand out in the crowd. And if you’re not an AI product? Forget about it.

Non-AI tools are getting buried, which means users looking for diverse discoveries are out of luck.

Losing Trust in the Platform

Then there’s the shady side of things. Some makers have started using questionable tactics to get ahead, like paying for upvotes or spamming their launches.

This undermines the community-driven vibe that made Product Hunt special in the first place. When it feels like the system is being gamed, people start to lose faith.

What This Means for Makers and Users

For Makers: It’s Tough Out There

If you’re launching a product that isn’t AI-related, you’re probably feeling the squeeze. Even if your tool is well-designed and solves a real problem, it’s hard to compete with the AI frenzy.

And because AI is so trendy, some makers feel pressured to slap an “AI-powered” label on their products just to get noticed—even if it doesn’t make sense for their product.

For Users: The Magic is Gone

For users, the fun of discovering unique and varied products has faded. The platform feels repetitive, and many long-time users are tuning out. The constant barrage of similar AI tools has created fatigue, making it harder to get excited about new launches.

Can Product Hunt Fix This?

So, is there hope for Product Hunt to reclaim its former glory? It won’t be easy, but there are a few things the platform could do to balance things out.

1. Tweak the Algorithm

Product Hunt could adjust its algorithm to promote more diversity. For example, they could limit how many AI products can appear on the front page at once or give a boost to products in underrepresented categories.

2. Highlight Curated Picks

What if Product Hunt brought back more curated recommendations? A human touch could help surface unique and interesting products that might otherwise get buried.

3. Crack Down on Manipulation

To rebuild trust, the platform needs to get serious about enforcing rules against vote manipulation and spammy practices. A cleaner, fairer system would make the experience better for everyone.

4. Rebuild the Community Vibe

Product Hunt used to feel like a community—a place where makers and users could connect and share ideas. Bringing back that sense of community, through forums, live chats, or even maker spotlights, could help restore what made the platform special.

The Bottom Line

Product Hunt’s AI takeover is a reflection of the tech world at large. AI is exciting, and it’s changing how we think about technology—but when one trend takes over, it can crowd out everything else.

For Product Hunt to stay relevant and fun, it needs to find a way to celebrate AI and all the other amazing innovations out there.

Here’s hoping the platform can course-correct before it becomes just another casualty of the AI gold rush.

After all, we all miss that feeling of discovering something truly unique—and Product Hunt, at its best, was the perfect place for that.

Noah Davis

Noah Davis is an accomplished UX strategist with a knack for blending innovative design with business strategy. With over a decade of experience, he excels at crafting user-centered solutions that drive engagement and achieve measurable results.