Responsible Development

Amari studies product design as a second-year student at her local college and is known for experimenting with new technologies. One afternoon, while in the fabrication lab, she watched one of her new classmates demo a just-released AI tool. Amari wanted to give it a try, too. 

She was impressed by the AI tool and the designs it produced on a project to redesign a reusable water bottle. However, when she presented some of those renderings in her class, her professor questioned whether she was demonstrating her full potential using the AI tool. They all debated about what makes the work creative, especially when AI was used in the process. Amari began doubting that she could be creative when heavily relying on the tools. She wanted to keep her voice as a designer and wasn't sure she wanted to compromise her creative point of view just to speed up her process. She also learned that creative AI technologies require careful consideration to avoid potential harm. The cautious development of creative AI tools could ensure the technology is used more responsibly.

As Amari continued her exploration of responsible AI development, she stumbled upon an intriguing project at a nearby tech incubator. The project focused on creating AI tools that adapted to individual artists' styles and preferences over time. Amari was fascinated by the idea and was invited to join a beta test of their tool after reaching out to the incubator. She used the adaptive AI tool alongside her traditional methods for a month. She kept a journal to reflect on her experiences. She found that the tool did seem to evolve with her and her unique style. Amari began to believe the creative industry could balance innovation with ethical considerations and minimize unintended consequences.

Amari considered new possibilities for responsible AI development in creative fields like product design. Could creative AI tools be customized not just to individual artists but to specific projects or even a specific mood? Could they serve as a bridge between different artistic disciplines in ways that help creative individuals explore unfamiliar territories? At the same time, Amari remained mindful of the need for transparency in AI-assisted work.

Her research into the intersection of AI and creativity led her to think of AI tools as collaborative partners rather than tools that would produce final solutions. For her final project, she decided to use texture graphics that her AI tool generated and place that graphic over a 3D model of a water bottle that she designed. She felt like this was a creative synthesis of human-machine collaboration.

Amari's project attracted attention at a student exhibition, and her classmates continued to discuss her use of AI in her design process. The continued interest in Amari's project led her to start an Instagram account that combined creative AI and product design. She and some of her classmates showcase their projects and others that blended AI and product design. This deepened Amari's understanding of how creative AI tools are developed and their potential (and limitations). It also helped her develop a more critical mindset when using these new technologies.

What do you think?