While there is lots of functionality that is not accessible right away with a direct button (how would an app look if every functionality had a button on screen?), you’re not wrong that it’s more steps — @jaroslav.kovar’s description of the tag/category flow is accurate and I’m not going to argue it’s better.
Not debating that.
What’s harder to see from the outside is what the old version cost. The star icon wasn’t “free”. It was noisy for everyone who doesn’t want to use AI generation, and it was costly because it was using a plugin outlet which forced absolute positioning which often breaks in all kinds of scenario’s. The other AI helpers are also all “hidden” in their consolidated menu, if we didn’t, we’d end with a composer that is mostly buttons and no hierarchy. Consolidating into one predictable home for AI actions is what makes the next set of features possible at all.
As I also said in the OP:
Ideally, we get to a point where users do not need to click anything at all. In the sense that if they click “create topic” without a title, the AI just picks the best suggestion and applies it (if enabled).
Other helpful additions could be a JIT mechanism, or a keyboard shortcut. Lots of ideas.
In the meantime, I also wonder for this
At least for category, why not set the default composer category to none, so they are forced to pick something (and thus open the dropdown anyway and see the AI prompt).
So TL;DR I hear the feedback, you’re not wrong, I needed it out of the way for now, and it’ll get better later.
Hope I can count on everyones patience.