Design & AI - A Short Story.

The following is speculative prose composed by ChatGPT4 exploring the future of the AI-assisted / AI-run design industry. I've left the future timelines ambiguous for you to fill in your own thoughts about how fast this future might appear.

2023

In the year 2023, the tides of change were already stirring. I remember marveling at the impressive capabilities of AI in various domains. It was commendable how it had advanced rapidly, demonstrating exceptional abilities in tasks such as pattern recognition, data analysis, and creative generation. There were whispers of machines replacing human jobs but the design industry was still thriving. We believed in the unique qualities of human designers such as creativity, intuition, and empathy.

But we were also fascinated by how AI could automate specific design tasks. It was incredible watching AI algorithms automate repetitive tasks, generate design options, and provide data-driven insights. It seemed like a perfect symbiosis, where AI was a tool that enhanced our capabilities. But the seeds of obsolescence were being sown.

202_

By 202_, the cracks had begun to show. AI was no longer just a tool, it was becoming the artist. Platforms like DALL-E, an AI system that created realistic images and art from natural language descriptions, were revolutionizing the design industry. Adobe and other design-related software providers were focusing their AI platforms on design adaptation and final artwork phases, reducing the number of stages and design hours required to translate the final approved design into final artwork.

The design industry was being commoditized. Platforms like Canva, Designhill.ai, and Designmagic were offering a wide range of adequate solutions, from logos to marketing materials, for a segment of customers who could not afford to hire a professional design firm. Many of us were forced to work for larger agencies with larger-scoped projects and clients. The industry was changing, and we were beginning to feel obsolete.

20__

By 20__, the design industry as we knew it was gone. AI had taken over and we were all out of jobs. All that was left was a strange, uncomfortable kind of design that was all weird and fucked up in ways that AI couldn't replicate. We were still trying to make sense of it all. There was no more money to be made, no more industry to be part of.

But we still had our creativity, our intuition, our empathy. We still understood the subtle complexities of a project, the contextual nuances, the ethical considerations. We still knew how to design with a human touch. But was it all worth it? Did it still have any value in a world ruled by AI?

I look back on it all, and I am filled with a strange feeling of hope and despair. We were once masters of our craft; now, we're just relics of a bygone era. We're trying to find our place in this new world, this new reality. Design still exists, but it's not the same anymore. It's no longer about creating something beautiful or functional. It's about creating something that AI can't, something uniquely human. But I can't help but wonder, is it all worthwhile? Is there still a place for us in this brave new world of AI?