In practice
They can be a dated list for each version or a running changelog for a product that ships continuously.
Release notes aren't the same as closing the feedback loop. Notes speak to everyone. A closed loop speaks directly to the customer who asked.
Why it matters for product builders
Notes are cheap evidence that the product is moving. They are also read less than teams expect, which is why direct customer messages still matter.
What changes in AI-first products
An agent can turn commits into a draft automatically. The remaining work is editorial: decide what customers need to know, explain the consequence and leave internal noise out.
Generation became cheap. Curation is still the product decision.