Though AI may be a novel technology, the key to the way we engage with it is anything but new. Jidoka -- automation with a human touch -- has been a key pillar of lean thinking for decades. This talk explores the mindset and ways of harnessing AI to complement rather that supplant human work. Tracing the concept from its origins when Sakichi Toyoda (founder of Toyota) invented a textile loom that stopped automatically when any thread broke, to today's AI-fueled possibilities, we will explore examples in and application to product development. As with other big historical advances in technology, we will discover how to eliminate the need for operators to continuously monitor the machines and lead in turn to the large productivity gains that AI promises.