Usually you need hot pan as the water will vaporise and make a vapor layer that prevent sticking

For inox pan, it also avoid that the micro cracks in the metal move and expand during the cooking which tend to trap the food and make it stick a lot

But you should avoid to heat a non-stick pan without food as it can emit toxic fume if it reach a critical temperature

This is not up to you or me : AI is an area of expertise / a scientific field with a precise definition. Large, but well defined.