Oh snap, AI just killed my graphic designer

TL;DR — AI is cutting into the field of graphic design, but it is not yet capable of replacing human designers. While it can certainly assist with the design process and generate impressive designs, it cannot match the creativity and originality of a human designer. For now, graphic designers can rest easy. But for how long?

Technology is a runaway train.  Careening recklessly along the track of time.  Gaining speed and losing people at each corner, but there is no time to worry about that.   

Years ago my Dad bought an Apple II computer and people said “What are you going to do with that?”  Now it’s “How can we do without that?”  Computers are a part of human existence, but watch out because they are taking over faster than ever before. 

AI has levelled up.  It is now capable of creating something that is a true partnership of man and computer. You only have to look at the art being created on MidJourney to grasp how far AI has progressed.

I can see in the near future we will be reduced to being AI managers, humans directing the output of the technically excellent sentient machines.

For the moment service based jobs are safe. The drivers? Well not really with Automated Driving. The doctors? Nope AI does better diagnosis of human issues. The tradesmen? Well until the robots get better anyway.

I guess it is time to all become social media divas :)

Oh wait, robots are taking over social media too. See https://www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/

Getting back to Graphic design. AI has made great strides in the field of graphic design. It will revolutionise the industry. First it will get built into specific design tools and then made accessible to the general public. Think Canva on steroids.

This is a scary prospect for graphic designers. After all, if AI is capable of creating high-quality designs, what will happen to all of the human designers out there? Will they be replaced by machines? Or will they “Move onto more meaningful jobs that give them greater satisfaction“, I love that euphemism.

But before you panic, it's important to understand what AI is actually capable of when it comes to graphic design. While AI algorithms can certainly generate impressive designs, they are not yet capable of replacing human designers.

For one thing, AI algorithms are limited by the data they are trained on. In order for an AI algorithm to create a design, it needs to be fed a large amount of data in the form of images, designs, and other visual materials. This data is then used to train the algorithm, allowing it to generate its own designs based on what it has learned.

At this stage the designs generated by AI algorithms are not always on par with those created by human designers. This is because AI algorithms are not yet capable of understanding the nuances of design, such as composition, colour theory, and typography. These are all critical components of good design, and they require a level of human understanding that AI algorithms currently do not possess.

Another limitation of AI in graphic design is the fact that it is not yet capable of coming up with original ideas. While AI algorithms can certainly generate designs that are similar to those found in a given dataset, they are not yet capable of coming up with entirely new concepts or ideas. This means that while AI can certainly assist with the design process, it cannot yet replace human designers completely.

Let me know your thoughts.

DM me on twitter @_metalPig.