Why does AI feel like chaos to many designers?
Recently I have been faced with a few designers who are really having a hard time accepting that the new advancements in artificial intelligence are a good thing. I understand their scepticism and to an extent why they feel so. And if you ask me, AI isn't a bad thing or something to be feared, at least at this stage.
1. Will AI take away your jobs?
AI can help you with a lot of things. From automating your complex tasks to summarising your briefs to helping you rephrase your emails to writing our blog articles. (PS. This article is written by me not an AI😉). Be sure that, AI will not take away your jobs. Of course, it will change the way you work, it will change the skillsets required for a job, and it will definitely change the work landscape we are used to. All you have to do is understand how to make the best use of AI.
2. Will using AI makes you less of a designer?
I would like to counter it with another question.
What makes you think not using ai will make you a better designer?
AI is growing and has influenced a lot of sectors, we can't sit in our rooms and just ignore that. Like an old saying in my mother tongue goes “You closing your eyes doesn't mean it's dark outside”. Let's use it and find ways to make the best out of it. That is the only way forward.
It's happening, face it.
3. AI is similar to pick and place or misx and match systems. Isn't it?
No, it isn't.
This question is where I completely understand the depth of knowledge you have using these systems. AI isn’t in any way similar to that. That is why is called Artificial Intelligence. An AI doesn't just mix information together randomly, based on its training model, it assesses a number of parameters and analyses the task to be performed, and then proved output.
Moreover, unlike a mix-and-match system that uses a set of existing components, AI learns from a big set of data and improves its performance over time. It recognizes patterns, identifies objects, makes predictions, etc.. to produce a desired output.
4. If an AI provides the necessary output (or design or image), where does a designer come in?
Though an AI can produce many contents and information, it should always be reviewed and edited by humans. You know that human touch. Ai cannot feel anything and there are things that go beyond its comprehension. Most AI identifies patterns created, (extractive generation) to create content so it needs to have a human intervention to make it stand out, give a humanistic appeal, etc.
This is extracted from chat GPT 😜
It’s important to note that AI-generated content should always be reviewed and edited by a human to ensure accuracy, coherence, and readability
So that is where a designer comes in.
Additionally, the creative brain behind the design is of a human. DALLE does provide an image unless a user specifies the characteristics of the image. Chat GPT can only answer a question you ask. The answer highly depends on how you craft the question.
5. Why you should not fear AI?
It is important to know that AI cannot think out of the box. The results it can provide are homogenised and unoriginal. Most of the time the results produced by an AI aren't something that you can directly use, it can have an overall look but will lack that itty gritty details, which definitely needs a human to edit and resolve.
AI can make content based on predefined rules and patterns. But it definitely needs a designer to break them and make something fresh and new. AI cannot generate ideas on its own.
The most common reasons I found for designers fearing AI are the lack of creativity, control, job security and transparency. Well, there are many issues regarding these aspects, like the ones I mentioned before. Additionally, most of us aren’t aware of the algorithms and the data they are trained on. Things like if the data is biased towards something or not, concerns about privacy and rights etc…
With all these in mind, the next question is how are we going to use AI in designs. For starters, You can get a ton of inspiration from AI. You can get a lot (I mean a lot !) of iterations done in a matter of minutes. You can create briefs, and proposals all by saving a ton of time.
You can automate a lot of tasks and focus on doing what you love. Isn't that a great takeaway on its own? Ultimately, the key to the successful integration of AI into the field of design may lie in finding a balance between the power of AI and the unique perspective and creativity that only human designers can provide. By working together, designers and AI systems can create truly innovative and engaging designs that capture the imagination and inspire audiences.
