Over the last few months, I have found myself going further and further down the rabbit hole of AI.
Like most, I didn't have a clue about it until the Chat GTP vs Bard argument started flowing into the masses. At first, it blew my mind, and my initial thought was, 'Wow, this is quite dangerous for those in the text-based content creation field,' but I felt slightly unnerved when a recent report stated that one of the top 5 jobs that AI is a threat to is an architect.
Now, I'm not an architect, but we occupy the same space, sharing elements such as software, plans, projects, suppliers and knowledge of building regulations.
However, the key pushback I had in mind is that there is a myriad of knowledge and technical BIM needed, as well as creativity, to construct and design a building. So, how could it possibly take years of study, training and work to recreate that role?
Until I saw this..."
Now, we all know how tedious it can be to spend hours and hours on revisions for a project. So, maybe this is a tool that can give the designer/architect more time to concentrate on concept creation and initial planning.
Until I saw this...
Having set up a business less than a year ago, it's normal for doom to set in, however, it's missing something AI can't do (well, just yet) - be a human.
Design and construction is a very personable industry that relies on communication, response and understanding. Yes, AI may be able to propose you with endless options of layouts and a fully occupied 3D model, but does it understand what it's doing it for? As designers and creators, we take multiple factors from budgets to product knowledge, emotion to relationships, habit, interaction and accessibility. We listen to our briefs, understand our clients, and design spaces with purpose. There are reasons why we propose something to a customer, as it has a unique function specific to that customer and the way that they work.
I recently moved home and used a picture of the living room. I fed it into an AI app and told it to design me the space in a comfortable contemporary style with a feature wall.
The Room
AI's design
Now, I can be bold in design at times, but I found the leopard print wallpaper next to the teal snake print clashed slightly with the mirrored ceiling.
The point of all of this is that there are some amazing tools being developed out there and some questionable ones, but they lack purpose. For the time being, I don't see AI as a job stealer, but a job aid - getting inspiration from what prompts an AI would suggest under the given brief, along with a layout that I may not have thought of, but ultimately it takes a human to understand the good and bad parts and curate them into the final product that works for the customer.
The key statement to understand is that AI today is the worst it will ever be - it will only get better, smarter and faster. The real challenge is to keep up with the pace of innovation and adopt it as a tool to help you, rather than a tool to replace you.
Written By
Keiren Nixon (Not a robot)
Owner & Designer of Switch Workplace Interiors
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