I ride almost exclusively outdoors using my Garmin 1050.
What is the AI using to determine how “well” we performed over the course of an Interval? Is it looking at the Average power over the course of the interval or is it looking at the Normalized Power over the course of the interval?
TIA!
I don’t think we necessarily prioritize only one of the two, but as a general guideline, the best approach is to aim to hit the power targets as steadily as you can. A consistent effort is what tends to deliver the best training stimulus for the zone you’re working in. 
Hopefully that helps!
Hopefully AP, not NP, otherwise you could do a “perfect” 3 minute interval by smashing out a 30 second sprint and then noodling for 2m30s.
I get the concern, if it says a certain goal/workout… want to hit it, so the plan continues as expected. If you listen to the new podcasts about the new AI model, plenty of mention of image based analysis. That might be mainly for pass/fail type checks. I know what you mean where if you dip in power for a light, turns, hazards… to keep workout on track should you accelerate hard for a bit to offset the dips. I would be inclined to do that within the target zone at least. Don’t be turning a high zone2 ride into sweetspot over unders LOL, but if target is 70% / 250w… maybe hit 260-270 for 30sec or so to offset the low power and to get HR back up etc. Light braking just a bit can help allow for higher power during adverse riding (sharp turns , downhills, narrow paths, etc)
Podcast has always however just focused on worrying about the second you are in, hit the number… don’t worry about what has happened or whats upcoming… just keep putting out near the target. Keep it simple.
Same goes for doing 30/30 vo2 work at like 450/0 during a session where it wants an 225 interval.
As Eddie says, just try to be as close to the target as possible at all times, and has been said in the podcast before, don’t try to pull the average up or down, just focus on being in the proper range for the intended stimulus.