Design and artificial intelligence: creativity goes beyond the boundaries

We have already discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly integrating into every aspect of human life - from smartphones to household appliances to cars and word processors. Today, it is no longer possible to envision a world without this technology.
AI is not just a common phenomenon; it is profoundly impacting the global economic system. For example, according to the Politecnico di Milano’s Artificial Intelligence Observatory, the Italian AI market reached €500 million in 2022, marking an impressive growth of 32% in just one year.

AI in design
In this short article, we will look at how artificial intelligence might affect purely artistic and creative fields, such as design in all its forms, where the human touch is crucial and decisive.
Anyone can gain hands-on experience by becoming a “designer for a day” by simply asking software like Midjourney or Dall-E to create a chair, table or mobile phone. In just a few seconds, these programs will magically generate objects that match our requests in terms of shape and colour, no matter how daring or imaginative they are.
However, this is just for fun and speculation, a far cry from what Design with a capital D entails, where form and function “must” be intricately linked to meet the needs and expectations of a real market.
Let’s examine the two cases below, which we consider emblematic as they illustrate two widely held but opposing attitudes towards AI in design.

Amazon’s Fashion Challenge: Say Goodbye to human stylists?
Amazon was undoubtedly one of the first to experiment with AI in fashion, launching a machine learning project in 2017. This project involved artificial intelligence learning current trends by analysing garments of certain styles and then creating new lines and collections from scratch. 
Thousands of images are analysed using neural networks, including the Generative Adversarial Network or GAN method. From these analyses, AI can learn a particular style and then apply it in completely original ways to new items, ensuring they will be well received by customers.
The sociological implications are significant and raise a number of concerns: Can an algorithm fully replace a human, becoming a fashion designer and dictating future trends? Can analysing countless examples turn into a creative act, replacing the flair, passion and intuition of a real-life designer?
Let’s set these questions aside for now and look at another extraordinary example.

The Elbo chair: Autodesk’s Generative Design Laboratory
Imagine asking a software program to “create” a completely original chair in the Danish contemporary style, using a few existing models as references and specifying the material. Then, imagine telling the program the load capacity the chair needs to withstand, the seat height, and other ergonomic requirements, with the aim of maximising material use without unnecessary waste.
This is precisely what Arthur Harsuvanakit, in collaboration with Brittany Presten, did in 2016. They used Dreamcatcher, Autodesk’s generative design CAD system, to create hundreds of prototypes. These prototypes were gradually refined until the final result was achieved: a chair with an organic shape and fascinating design that is both structurally efficient and optimised for material use.
The creation of Elbo, as the chair is known, is an excellent example of human-AI interaction. As the AI system proposed entirely new solutions, the two designers chose some ideas over others, guiding the process through multiple iterations until the chair’s final design was achieved. 
In this case, artificial intelligence acts as a valuable support tool for designers, greatly expanding their options for combinations, trial-and-error, and alternatives quickly, without any intention of replacing human creativity.

Sedia Elbo - www.arthurharsuvanakit.com
 

A New Renaissance for Future Design
Many designers are already exploring the possibilities offered by AI, with some becoming prominent industry experts. For example, designer Tim Fu, who trained at Zaha Hadid Architects, has established a cutting-edge design firm that integrates AI into visionary design projects. Similarly, Krista Kim, a philosopher and digital artist, collaborates with big names in design and fashion, such as Louis Vuitton, Lamborghini, Samsung, etc.
Some describe this as a new Renaissance that will bring about new aesthetics, forms, colours, and structures that have yet to be imagined. This is made possible by combining “real” human thought and sensibility with virtual technologies and solutions obtained through the extraordinary power of computers.

(Articole by Carlo Magrì - info@imagem.it - pubblished in CER il giornale della Ceramica n. 404 magazine)