How AI is killing the magic of design.

A local would have avoided this intersection today.

It’s the heart of SF’s Chinatown on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

But this driverless Waymo doesn’t have a clue. It blithely drives towards an intersection ringed with revelers lighting fireworks. When the taxi can go no further, some in the crowd attack it, and set it aflame.

Besides the unacceptable property damage, there is a larger point. Human drivers would choose a better path. 

They would understand the context, culture, and surroundings at this time and place, and steer clear.

Driverless cars promise a proxy for human judgment. They have a lot to learn.

Corporations expect AI to do the same. CEOs are rushing for AI to optimize business functions to boost short-term profitability. Read downsizing. 

This efficiency focus has gutted design teams, from C-suite design leaders to designers and researchers.

Will they go too far? I think so. 

But human-led design matters, it always will. And you need to understand why.

The need for human-led design doesn’t magically disappear with the emergence of AI. Humans best understand human needs and desires. You guessed it, with empathy.

Not with me yet? Examine the canary in the coal mine.

Algorithms. When they automate and scale, it’s a race to the middle. Products lose their magic and distinctness. Everything is flattened. Facebook much?

AI only accelerates this. And for the brands stuck in the mushy middle, competition will be fierce.

Sure, AI will augment, explore, and enable better solutions. But it won’t create it out of thin air.

Designers will harness and nudge these new tools to create valuable and meaningful products.

This is where you have an immense opportunity.

Step away from the stampede, and invest in both tech and humans. Provide your customers with superior value in unique and intuitive ways.

While the big brands over-correct with machines, you can create magic by blending designer insights with computing power.

Human-led design is not optional. It’s critical.

In the business of serving humans, empathy always pays.

Don’t get distracted by the fireworks.