Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/
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Imagine a situation where you as an architect, interior
designer or furniture designer go to a client with a couple of alternative
design options and you find the client ready with dozen odd design and
remodeling alternatives of their own, along with the articulated conceptual
description and most efficient cost estimates; just because an app on their
phone today or tomorrow allows them to do so effortlessly. Imagine a situation
where these AI-based apps and websites, for instance, produce highly tailored designs
that precisely suit the personality and profile of the client based on their
psychometric analysis, and health profile among others. Also imagine AI making
it possible to deliver different bespoke design solutions for each of 1000 odd
units of mass housing before handover, including different choices and grades
of material, finishes, and appliances tailored to each unit and to the
preference and paying capacity of each household; something which is certainly
beyond the means and resources of individual architect or firm. Likewise,
hundreds of possible logos, products, land use, and masterplan options which AI
can generate just like that. These are the cases of AI overshadowing your
manual hard work in times to come. It may even qualify as an existential crisis
for creative professionals.
It makes one think how prepared we are today to embrace the
use case application of AI and LLM in the creative and idea-driven fields; and
the answer is, we are not as prepared as we think or as we should be.
For example, around 20-odd years ago, architectural
education and architectural professional practice were going through a similar
but slower quantum shift, i.e., from analog to digital. That was made possible
through the means and tools like the proliferation of affordable computers,
emerging drafting and visualization software, and access to online resources
among others, all happening at the same time. These technological shifts
changed things like lesser focus and reliance on hand-drawn concepts, moving
away from hand-rendered visualization, physical drafting tools slowly getting
obsolete, and lesser trips to university libraries among others. On different
parameters, these were good and bad for the industry. On the one hand, it
helped access new resources, forge possibilities, and made way for faster
execution; but on the other hand, it also led to the mechanization of
creativity and loss of sublimity and fluidity of imagination.
At that point in time, other than a few privileged niche
institutions, the architectural education and architecture industry in general
especially in the global south were certainly not prepared for this shift, at
least they had no concrete strategy or plan in place to fast embrace this
technological transition that was at the doorstep. That is evident from the
fact that there was no corresponding radical restructuring that could be seen
in architectural curricula or radical transformation that could be seen in
architectural professional practice. It is understood because traditionally
socio-technological changes take longer, sometimes a decade or so, before fully
integrated into practice. It is also understood because it was a different time
and a different pace of technological diffusion.
Today we are witnessing a technological breakthrough that is
happening every other day, that is immensely disruptive, shapeshifting, and at
an unparallel pace in history, be it Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Large
Language Model (LLM) potential use cases. In creative, conceptual, and
vision-driven knowledge areas like design, architecture, and even urban
planning, the impact of the same is unfathomable. Unless serious thought and
effort are given to understand the impact and application of AI and LLM in the
above areas by academia and practitioners alike, we are either going to miss
the unparalleled opportunity that AI and LLM offer today or technology is going
to outpace education and industry practice, making them look like outdated
craft and institutions.
When it comes to technology, there was some ignorance,
skepticism, and resistance 20 years ago and there is again apprehension and
lack of comprehension today; today it’s about technology like creative AI. The
discomfort of not knowing how technology like text-to-image, text-to-animation,
ChatGPT, and whatnot may shape the industry, is obvious. The only difference is
that today not immediately embracing AI in education and practice, may come at
unforeseen and unparallel costs. The forces of technology are inescapable and
contagious today, it may only be a wise idea to be an early adopter and to
embrace the changes. The possible way might be to swiftly acknowledge,
integrate and treat AI in design, architectural, and planning education as well
as professional practices, as an aid to the scenario building, design thinking,
and optimization process.
This may also mean for everyone, all the academic and
professional institutions involved in some sort of design and planning process,
to increasingly shift their focus and energy from creativity, drafting,
visualization, and project economics (increasingly being taken care of by AI),
to originality, system thinking, design and life philosophy, causality, value
proposition, and core human values, which AI today may not entirely be equipped
to address. Thinking of what differentiates creative souls and humans in
general from AI, it occurs that while AI including LLM may logically synthesize
perceivable output based on the vast dataset and training, AI has not yet
reached a point to have the ability like encountering eureka moments, ideas
that descend unconsciously and in dreams, surreal and spiritual experiences as
humans do.
Author: Anoop Jha
Image: Pixabay
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[Recent update
Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.
Please Note, that I am also conducting a FREE 45-minute online individual consultation on your interior design and home decor needs and aspirations if you are in the Netherlands or even internationally. Drop me an email at anoop.jha@gmail.com
Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/
Instagram interior design page @urbantenets
Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional
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#collegeofarchitecture #technology #distuptivetechnology #AIusecase #Rotterdam
#Amsterdam #Utrecht #Hague #Netherlands
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