Laboratory of Changes. Design Education in the Face of Artificial Intelligence

The development of generative AI brings new challenges, which could result in total redefinition of design education and practice alike. The article shortly describes the evolution of design over the recent 15 years. It demonstrates how UX and related areas have risen in importance, which made many persons dealing with the more traditional forms of design acquire new skills, including business ones. Next, it refers this “evolution” to the current moment, when the development and increase in AI use forces designers to, once again, re-evaluate their competenggcy in this context. The text also proposes a thesis that the long-term designers’ engagement in building the foundation of technological status quo does not translate into reflection on the variants of automation conductive of life and well-being. It draws attention to the fact that shaping educational programmes in response to the market needs limits the possibilities of appropriate consideration of other prospective variants of technology or social and economic consequences of automation. In parallel, it indicates the potential of change in this situation, which should be commenced by asking adequate, bold questions and challenging the status quo. Keywords: design education, design critique, evolution of design practice, automation, artificial intelligence (AI)