Cory Doctorow discusses the detrimental impact of AI-driven design changes on user experiences in apps, specifically highlighting the case of 'Genius Scanner,' which replaced essential UI elements with AI-related ads, frustrating users and compromising core functionality. The article explores broader implications of these design choices on the tech industry, user engagement, and the measurement systems that drive corporate behavior, likening it to 'reward hacking.' This commentary raises awareness about the potential harms of prioritizing metrics over user needs in technology.