How the development of artificial intelligence is changing the design profession

For designers, artificial intelligence offers great opportunities. Although this area will require skills that a good designer already has, there is still a lot to learn: to understand sociology, psychology, biology, to apply the knowledge of statistics in practice. Creativity and attention to detail alone are not enough. This is what designers need to adapt to. It's time to start thinking about how the work on projects in the future will go.

Why artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for a designer

First, a few words about why designers should embrace artificial intelligence with open arms. The best designers have always understood that a good product must satisfy the needs of the user, and for this you need to have a good understanding of human behavior. But historically, designers have been able to come up with solutions that satisfy most users in a given situation, rather than every single person all the time.

Artificial intelligence will change that. It will allow designers not only to satisfy, but also to anticipate the needs of the individual user. Imagine a bathroom mirror that adjusts room lighting based on a person's stress level. Or a robot that helps in learning and adjusts the child's lesson plan if he is tired or unable to concentrate. With artificial intelligence, products and services will not only fulfill their direct functions. Awareness of emotions will allow us to offer the best solution to each user.

Time to learn

Design today is mostly associated with the humanities. But a designer who is going to work with artificial intelligence will need to broaden their horizons.

Maths

New data appears non-stop in today's mobile-sensory world. Disciplines such as statistics, data mining, and data processing theory are necessary to find patterns in numbers. The technological community pays a lot of attention to machine learning, that is, it tries to teach machines to make decisions on their own, starting from such patterns. Therefore, the designer needs to understand mathematical methods in order to use the information obtained in the design.

Psychology

Artificial intelligence should interact with the user in different ways, say, at two in the afternoon and at two in the morning. If the time is unusually late, then the user is probably upset because they cannot sleep. Or cheerful because he drank. Or panicked because something extraordinary had happened. It is important to pay attention to this.

Designers need to understand that users can react very differently to different situations. And so their design should be influenced by factors such as the user's mood, location, and even what was for lunch today. This will require a deep understanding of human psychology.

One of the biggest disadvantages of artificial intelligence systems is that they can be frustrating for the user. And people are not inclined to treat machines with the same understanding with which they treat each other. Artificial intelligence that can quickly and correctly understand a user's request or intent based on context, circumstances and emotional state will be key.

Sociology

Designers need to consider when and if artificial intelligence will be considered a distinct part of society. Should we give systems names like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa, and will they be different from each other? Or are these names just a brand? What will the intelligent environment look like? Can different AIs be allowed to communicate and interact with each other? Can the artificial intelligence network become an independent society? And will such a society be subject to change because of the people using the system?

This means that the designer needs to be well versed in sociological theories and apply this knowledge in practice in intelligent systems.

Biology

Synthetic biology is a new direction in science: scientists combine biomolecular components into new structures and networks and change the DNA of living organisms. This means that in the future, designers and architects will be able to use natural materials for clothing and building construction.

Artificial intelligence will take synthetic biology to the next level, allowing living organisms to grow and change according to the principles of machine learning. For example, take a look at Ginkgo Bioworks, a startup that designs robots to build genes. The company recently raised $ 100 million to expand its business. One of the clients of Ginkgo Bioworks, a perfume company, commissioned a startup to develop synthetic rose oil so that it could stop extracting it from real roses.

The line between artificial intelligence and real life is becoming increasingly blurred. And soon designers will have to learn how to use living organisms to create smart objects and environments. A deep understanding of biology and ethics will play an important role in this.