Here at Milk & Tweed, we talk a lot about Artificial Intelligence and its capabilities. We have a few articles on ChatGPT and how it can be used, our team have written various LinkedIn posts about it, and we even used AI to generate a ‘Spot the Difference’ social post using a photo of our office! We know that it’s not just a hot topic in our office but across the whole graphic design community. But what does the evolution of Artificial Intelligence mean for design agencies? Is there room for both, or will new and improving technology lead to the death of the designer? (Scary right?)
What is AI?
In case you’ve been living under a rock, we will quickly break down what AI actually is:
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. It refers to the development of computer systems or machines that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. AI encompasses a broad range of techniques, methodologies, and approaches aimed at enabling computers to simulate human cognitive functions such as learning, problem-solving, reasoning, perception, and decision-making.
There are two main types of AI: Narrow AI and General AI. Narrow AI, also known as Weak AI, is designed to perform specific tasks within a limited domain. Examples of narrow AI include voice assistants like Siri or Alexa, recommendation algorithms, and image recognition systems.
On the other hand, General AI, also referred to as Strong AI or Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), represents machines or systems with the ability to understand, learn, and apply knowledge across various domains, similar to human intelligence. While we have made significant progress in narrow AI, achieving true General AI remains a goal for ongoing research and development.
AI systems employ various techniques, including machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and robotics, among others. These techniques enable AI systems to analyse large amounts of data, recognize patterns, make predictions, and automate tasks, contributing to improved decision-making, efficiency, and productivity across numerous fields and industries.
And just to make sure you know what AI is and can do, we used artificial intelligence platform, ChatGPT, to write the previous 4 paragraphs!
So how does AI’s capabilities match up to those of humans?
If you work within the marketing industry or you’re interested in design, you have probably seen countless articles about the future of graphic designers. So, how do the design capabilities of artificial intelligence compare to those of the humans working at an agency such as Milk and Tweed? Will robots take over the role of graphic design agencies? Let’s find out…
Editing images
There are various different AI design tools that are sprouting here, there and everywhere. There’s Midjourney, there’s DALL-E (and DALL-E 2), and Adobe’s suite of generative AI tools that are able to edit images intuitively.
Time crunching
Often, the thing that holds us designers back is time. Often, we don’t have enough time to complete everything we want to. That’s probably the best thing about AI design tools – in our opinion anyway. They save SO. MUCH. TIME.
Creativity
One of the main drawbacks of AI is creativity. Even with the ability to create beautiful images in a short amount of time, they all require someone to think up and write the prompts.
The small but super important stuff
One thing that artificial intelligence will never quite get the hang of is the intricacies around colour psychology and the details of your business. When a design prompt is typed into an AI system, it will work through a database of different pre-existing designs, and produce a median, rather than something bespoke.
Conclusion
So, what can we take from all of this? Well, while AI design tools can help with designing, they are exactly that – a tool! Bricklayers aren’t worried about a cement mixer taking their jobs, because it’s a tool. It helps get the house built quicker, but it doesn’t complete the whole job.
Artificial intelligence can absolutely complement the work of human graphic designers but, in our expert opinion, no – you don’t have to be worried about a robot taking your job!
How can Milk & Tweed help?
Are you in need of a design team that can design beautiful bespoke pieces without relying on artificial intelligence? You’re in the right place! Take a look at our previous designs here, or get in touch with us today. We’d love to speak to you!
