How do I test my AI prototype with real users, and can AI simulate user feedback?

Share the prototype link and watch five real people try to complete one task without your help; tools like Maze now test prototypes built in Figma Make, Lovable, Bolt, and Replit directly, and AI handles the busywork of writing test plans and summarizing sessions. Synthetic 'AI users' are useful for piloting your interview questions and cheap early passes, but the research consensus is clear: they replay what is already known and cannot surprise you, and the surprises are where the product insights live. Use AI to speed up research on real humans, not to replace them.

A quick orientation. The real value is below: resources worth your time, from people who've actually done it.