According to a recent survey, 55 per cent of artists now worry that AI art will hinder their ability to generate income from their creativity.
The rapid advancement of AI in the past five years alone has raised questions about its long-term impact on several industries, including graphic design.
As AI technology continues to grow and evolve, it’s only the next logical step to wonder whether we will reach a point where graphic designers are replaced altogether.
In this article, we’ll explore the world of AI art, determining whether AI is the future of the industry and identify the skills that make graphic designers indispensable.
Is AI the future of graphic design?
AI has been around since the 1970s, and yet it’s only more recently that it has made significant progress in automating tasks and processes within design.
AI-powered tools like DALL-E 2, Adobe Firefly and Midjourney have all demonstrated how quickly and accurately graphic imagery can be brought to life.
These programs enable designers to play around with new ideas, automate repetitive tasks, and generate design elements. AI is particularly useful for generating design layouts and colours by analysing data from user preferences, brand guidelines, and industry trends to create the best visual imagery.
AI can not only expedite the design process but also enhance the finished product but whether AI is the future of graphic design is yet to be seen.
Will AI replace graphic designers?
When surveyed, one in four graphic designers are concerned about the originality of AI-generated artwork, and these questions around copyright infringement, among other issues, have led many to believe that we are a long way from AI replacing graphic designers.
The general consensus within the industry is that AI will only transform the way designers work as an incredibly powerful tool that can handle specific, time-consuming tasks and requests.
It is thought that the addition of artificial intelligence will only help designers save time and focus more on the fun and creativity that come with their work.
Will AI replace graphic designer jobs?
AI is growing at a rapid rate, so much so that in 2023, tech leaders called for at least a six-month pause in the training of the next generation of giant AI experiments.
There is a general fear of the unknown with this unprecedented advancement, as well as a fear of job displacement. However, in the world of graphic design, AI is likely to grow as a beneficial tool rather than an adversarial one.
As many designers will tell you, AI is great at automating certain tasks but lacks the creativity of the human mind.
Graphic designers are artists, creators and storytellers whose job is to understand more than just design but the emotional and cultural significance of each project – something AI fails to grasp.
It is more likely that in the long term, the integration of AI tools in graphic design will lead to the creation of more jobs within the industry.
Designers who learn the ins and outs of AI design will find themselves in demand as there is a growing need to develop and use these tools.
What skills do graphic designers possess that AI could never replicate?
The key to any project within the creative industry is, unsurprisingly, creativity! An artistic mind is integral to any graphic design work, and while AI is useful for data analysis and pattern recognition, it fundamentally lacks the ability to generate original and innovative ideas.
Alongside original thought, there is also a distinct need for emotional intelligence within design work. Designers often need to convey specific emotions or messaging within their work using colour imagery and composition. Ultimately, the emotional impact of each design choice is a human skill AI currently lacks.
Effective design also requires unique human experiences and cultural context to have a meaningful impact.
AI does not have these lived experiences or understanding of cultural nuance to create designs that resonate with diverse modern audiences.
Any designer will tell you that each project comes with its own unique set of challenges, and this requires an ability to adapt and problem-solve. This critical thinking is a skill beyond AI’s capabilities; therefore, human designers are still needed to find innovative solutions in this line of work.
Finally, effective communication with clients is one of the most essential parts of the graphic design process. Designers are required to regularly take on feedback throughout the project and turn their client’s abstract ideas into something marvellous.
This type of creative collaboration is purely human, and you will never achieve the same results with AI at this stage in its development.
So, is AI going to take over graphic design?
Put simply, no. While AI is making incredible strides across many industries and has made significant contributions to graphic design, it is unlikely to replace graphic designers anytime soon.
There is potential for AI and design to work in harmony, improving processes, enhancing creativity and making the overall design process much more efficient.
It is important to remember that graphic design only transitioned to the digital world from the drafting table in the mid-1990s. Once more, the industry is evolving in the digital space to include AI, and therefore, designers should embrace this new tool that will only complement their skills.
AI will help graphic designers focus on the areas of design that require human ingenuity, creativity, and emotional understanding.
In the ever-evolving world of graphic design, the collaboration between human designers, the graphic design software they currently use, and AI may well come to define the future of the industry and lead to new and exciting creative prospects.
