An AI-first SaaS treats the model as a first-class tool, not a chat sidebar. The data model is designed to be retrieved by embeddings. The auth model accounts for agents. The admin dashboard shows tool calls next to CRUD rows. Feedback loops are live on day one — not a v2 afterthought.
It also means the UI gets simpler. If the agent can triage, the operator doesn't need a 40-column table. The whole product pulls toward intent, not features.