From Hand-drawing to AI-Integrated Design: High-tech Architecture and Urban Design in the Wetware Era

As modern cities are primarily oriented toward economic growth rather than improving quality of life, the lack of humanistic care has become an important issue. The author explores the evolution of architectural and urban design workflows from traditional hand-drawing to AI-integrated design, reflecting on the shortcomings and improvement paths of high-tech architecture and urban design in terms of humanistic care, in conjunction with the Wetware theory. The hardware and software eras, centered on efficiency, led to emotional isolation and the lack of humanistic qualities in urban spaces. However, the Wetware era, through AI-integrated design and guided by "humanistic increment," transforms technological tools into creative partners, integrating emotional and ecological metaphors, and reconstructing the "technology-life-humanism" symbiosis. Finally, this paper reviews the ethical issues and technological limitations of AI workflows and offers prospects for future developments. Technological progress in design has emphasized efficiency, leading to emotional detachment and a lack of humanism in cities. The Wetware era seeks to rebuild the "technology-life-humanism" connection, using AI to express emotion and individuality. Yet, AI is mainly used in early stages, and challenges in technical compliance, ethics, and the role of designers remain.