Riding the cyber serpent.
“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” — HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey 1968) | AI image created using prompts by the author on Midjourney, Runway.ai and Open Art. Edited in FIGMA.
Living in the uncanny valley.
Welcome to mid 2024, a data-soaked fever dream where digital landscapes are alive and learning. Here, the design director isn’t just a cog in the corporate machine — they’re a perceptive precog wielding the uncanny arts of AI to forge raw, unfiltered emotional connections. The mission? Not to create sterile, subservient bots, but to design digital entities that can peer into a customer’s soul and fulfill their desired outcome.
Like it or not, we designers have been promoted to the precipice of an extraordinary shift that shakes the foundational tactics we have come to rely on. The polished processes that come with years of experience surviving impostor syndrome are beginning to be automated by the grandest impostor of all, Artificial Intelligence. The reality is, AI is about to steamroll half of our design jobs. According to OpenAI’s own research, “Web and Digital Interface Designers” Are 100% exposed to LLM disruption and automation¹. These jobs are becoming obsolete, but we are more than our jobs; we are persistent problem solvers, organizers of ambiguity, and passionate presenters whose expertise and craftsmanship will be necessary to keep the human-in-the-loop.
This isn’t the time to cling to outdated practices or whine about how things used to be. If you want to stay relevant, it’s time to accept a world where:
Many tasks that UX/UI designers are required to perform will be automated.Human desires will remain at the forefront of the human-machine interface (HMI).It is good for businesses and customers to invest in these advancements.
AI isn’t here to steal your job — it’s here to turbocharge your creativity and innovation. Imagine designing interfaces that anticipate customer needs before they even know what they want. AI can make that happen, but only if you’re bold enough to let it.
“Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most amusing.” — DATA (Star Trek: The Next Generation 1987) | AI image created using prompts by the author on Midjourney, Runway.ai and Open Art. Edited in FIGMA.
The red pill for UX/UI designers and developers
Some say AI is a miracle design tool, others claim it will lead to a dystopian, artless world of robotic hallucinations. Ditch the pointless question, “Will AI take over design?” and get real: the technology driving AI is here to stay. With surveys showing adoption soaring to 72% in 2024², investment in accelerated AI capabilities is not only good business, it’s imperative to meet modern customer expectations and demands.
Recent data tells us AI is already embedded in our daily grind, and we love the benefits but, there’s a glaring oversight — quality interface design. It’s like having a Ferrari engine in a riding lawnmower — powerful, but sorely lacking in quality and context. Users report that AI helps them save time (90%), focus on critical tasks (85%), enhance creativity (84%), and enjoy their work more (83%)³. The product and user experience design industry is already reeling from the whipsaw of changing priorities and budgets. If your role hasn’t been impacted, chances are, you know someone who has. After all, AI doesn’t destroy civilizations — people do.
So, what skills do designers need to continue to lead thoughtful strategies and ship meaningful experiences in the age of AI?
It turns out it’s the tools that designers have always leveraged to push projects beyond the limits of left-brain imagination. Framing mental models, critical thinking, and visualizing outcomes are the superpowers that drive creative solutions. The data coldly suggests that jobs requiring the mastery of these competencies are less likely to get bulldozed by the AI apocalypse.
So get lean, learn to love our AI buddies and blend AI capabilities with your intuitive genius. Collaborate with AI like it’s your quirky copywriter, not your creativity sucking corporate machine.
“Flattery will get you nowhere — but don’t stop trying.” — Miss Moneypenny (Jame Bond Dr. No 1962) | AI image created using prompts by the author on Midjourney, Runway.ai and Open Art. Edited in FIGMA.
Design the ‘rizz’ factor
The role of the AI Agent is the most significant aspect of the shift to AI and AI powered automation and comes with the biggest risk to customer experiences. AI agents are sliding into DMs — every data-dealing enterprise is feverishly giving their LLMs flashy new makeovers to earn our trust. The AI Agent market is expected to grow by 43% in the next 3 years⁴. Understanding the delicate dance between user and agent and designing applications that add value to end users by amplifying their abilities will be the glue that bonds brands and customers.
Empathy is the secret sauce for building AI that people actually give a damn about. Your AI needs to be a mind reader, a digital therapist that gets the highs and lows of human interaction. This means teaching it to pick up on all the subtle, messy signals — facial twitches, voice inflections, body language, the whole shebang.
In the hurricane of AI hype the need for intuitive human-centered interface is still the most critical component of a successful product. Only 36% of organizations are actively measuring trust and engagement⁵, leaving the door wide open for product designers who dare to create interactions that not only function flawlessly but also inspire affection. As we charge into the future, one thing’s clear: the first AI encounter can make or break the customer’s journey.
To elevate AI Agent interfaces from functional to phenomenal, designers need more than A/B testing — solicit the personal touch of end users. We’re talking about real feedback, not canned surveys or sterile analytics. It’s the nuanced, often eccentric insights from actual humans that can transform a clunky interface into a seamless digital dance partner.
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”—Richard Buckminster ‘Bucky’ Fuller | AI image created using prompts by the author on Midjourney, Runway.ai and Open Art. Edited in FIGMA.
Design the landscapes that shape tomorrow
The machines may be rising, but we — creators, dreamers, designers — will rise higher. GenAI advancements will give us the keys to the future, but it’s up to us to open the doors. Agents and LLMs are tools — novel, awe-inspiring, terrifyingly potent, and sometimes cringy. To survive, to thrive, leaders must transform themselves into the parents of this new paradigm. As designers, we must understand its quirks, its limitations, and its boundless potential to add value to human lives and bring wealth to industries of all scopes and sizes.
With the cost cuts of 2024, it’s an inevitability: big tech companies are sharpening their axes, reducing human head counts, and bolstering their arsenals with the cold, unyielding precision of automation⁶. The behemoth FAANG boards are convinced they have the data at scale and tailored AI concoctions will be the next big thing. But here’s the rub — democratized AI can spread the wealth they’re hoarding across companies big and small. Big tech’s splurge on LLM seems like a short-sighted plan to kidnap solutions looking for problems. But the true value AI will generate in the coming years will emerge when design directors leverage their expertise to prioritize the design of engaging AI-powered experiences that are accessible to everyone.
The most phenomenal visions for WEB3 promise fully integrated systems for commerce, healthcare, public transportation and even curated galleries of fantastical creative works⁷. The future’s all about crafting flexible frameworks that let AI tailor experiences like a bespoke IRONMAN for each user’s quirks and whims. It’s time to ditch the rigid linear user journeys and start building adaptive paths that morph and twist with the user’s every whim. Mastering subjective data synthesis and user modeling is now as essential as knowing how to make a damn good prototype.
The ability to mess with emotions isn’t just a cool trick — it’s a heavy responsibility. As an administrator of these digital minds, you’ve got to ensure the connections you build are genuine, not manipulative. Respect your customers, don’t exploit them. This isn’t a game; it’s the future of human-machine interaction.
“Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it”” — Voice on Tape (Mission Impossible 1969) | AI image created using prompts by the author on Midjourney, Runway.ai and Open Art. Edited in FIGMA.
Head the wisdom of the dotcom debacle
AI doesn’t have a pulse, it doesn’t reinvent fashion every September for New York’s Fashion Week — It’s a lifeless machine, regurgitating patterns and algorithms, devoid of the very thing that makes content worth creating. In fact, 52% of Americans view AI not as a beacon of hope but as a harbinger of uncertainty⁸. What could possibly go wrong? Turns out, quite a lot. Will our secrets be exposed? Will surveillance pervade every aspect of our digital lives? It’s enough to unsettle even the most tech-savvy cyberpunk. Despite these concerns, avenues for progress emerge. Calls for regulation, for steering AI towards responsible shores, are gaining momentum.
Design teams have a pivotal role in balancing innovation with ethics, safeguarding what’s sacred while embracing the promise of advancement. Defining lessons learned on the trails of experimentation with meaningful AI agent applications will draw the maps for collective design standards and social etiquette necessary in navigating the uncanny valley.
It’s acceptable to be cautious, to question, to demand accountability. Designers are shaping the vision for meaningful GenAI experiences, and the demand for quality design is escalating. Within this crucible of uncertainty lies the potential for a future where AI serves not as a master but as a tool — a future where humanity’s essence shines amidst the brilliance of technological marvels. Embrace caution, but hold steadfast to the belief that, with time, we will navigate these uncharted waters with the wisdom of pioneers and the resilience of dreamers.
“Ooooh, behave…YEAH BABY! ” Austin Powers (Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 1996) | AI image created using prompts by the author on Midjourney, Runway.ai and Open Art. Edited in FIGMA.
Conclusion: Supercharge your creative capacity in collaboration with AI
In the age of Transformers, more than meets the eye, we have to accept that our cyber colleagues are redefining the landscape of human machine interface design. The time has come to not only swallow the red pill of this disruption but to encourage it like a budding vegetable plant.
AI is not a threat to the creativity and innovation inherent in UI design; rather, it is a powerful tool that can elevate our work to unprecedented heights. By merging our tried and true design thinking methods with all new experiments in curating desirable layers of design aimed at shaping human perception — we can create more intuitive, responsive, and personalized user experiences. We must step beyond the confines of traditional methods and explore the vast possibilities that AI offers.
So, here’s to the designers who dare to listen, who dare to iterate, and who dare to create interfaces that not only function flawlessly but also inspire affection. Let’s build GenAI interactions that users love to engage with — a digital realm where trust is earned, feedback is valued, and every click brings us closer to a harmonious coexistence with our intelligent companions. We’re not just about designing interfaces; we’re designing relationships. And in the end, isn’t that what truly matters?
Footnotes:
“Web and Digital Interface Designers” Are 100% exposed to LLM disruption and automation.”
Source: OpenResearch. (2023). “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”“With surveys showing adoption soaring to 72% in 2024”
Source: Quantum Black | AI by McKinsey (2024) “The state of AI in early 2024: GenAI adoption spikes and starts to generate value””Users report that AI helps them save time (90%), focus on critical tasks (85%), enhance creativity (84%), and enjoy their work more (83%)”
Source: Microsoft and Linkedin. (2024). “AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part”“The AI Agent market is expected to grow by 43% in the next 3 years”
Source: Source: DATAFOREST. (2024). “The Strategic Advantage of AI Agents”“Only 36% of organizations are actively measuring trust and engagement”
Source: Deloitte. (2024). “The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise”“With the cost cuts of 2024, It’s an inevitability, big tech companies are sharpening their axes, reducing human head counts and bolstering their arsenals with the cold, unyielding precision of automation”
Source: Source: CNBC. (2024). “Companies — profitable or not — make 2024 the year of cost cuts””The most phenomenal visions for WEB3 promise fully integrated systems for commerce, healthcare, public transportation and even curated galleries of fantastical creative works”
Source: “StartUs Insights (2023) “Top 10 Web3 Trends & Innovations in 2023”“In fact, 52% of Americans view AI not as a beacon of hope but as a harbinger of uncertainty”
Source: Source: Pew Research Center. (2021). “What the data says about Americans’ views of artificial intelligence”
Essay notes
My frenetic experience as a Design Director working on AI initiatives has been an explosive series of fast paced fire drills staffed with inherently motivated volunteers. The rush to design for AI comes at the tail end of grand investments in LLM improvements that were cracked wide open when humans got their silly fingers on the control switch with a familiar chat interface design. The big secret is that the popularity of the new interface is quickly driving UX/UI design jobs out of existence.
As someone who has been impacted by corporate restructuring, I wanted to pull my learnings and thoughts together with an unapologetic series of essays to set a framework of understanding of emergent issues that are arising from the evolution of machine learning. The goal: provoke discussion and share practical ideas to address the changes to come.
This isn’t just a series — it’s a call to action.
AI tools used in the creation of this article, so far…
A design director’s dance with artificial intelligence in 2024 was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
