06-01-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

Use AI to augment design, not replace it

The growing push toward full automation is a mistake.

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

AI is now front and center in every conversation about the future of design in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. At my firm, we’re embracing AI, but not in the way some headlines would have you think. Our belief is that AI should augment our design expertise, not replace it.

Across the industry, some organizations are pushing full automation, which means automating deliverables and trying to remove the designer from the creative process. I believe that’s a terrible idea. Design is personal. Our teams pour passion into their work, and people feel that downstream. If we chase efficiency by skipping over the natural human........

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