A lot of people are wondering how AI will change what we do.
When thinking about the future, I find it helpful to look back in time.
Before 1800, complex fabric patterns were woven by hand. This required a great deal of skill and labor, which made beautiful patterned fabric extremely expensive.
But in 1804, a patent for the "Jacquard loom" changed everything.
This loom used a series of punch cards to simplify and automate the process of weaving intricate patterns. Unskilled laborers replaced skilled handloom weavers, and mass production of complex fabrics took off.
This marked a turning point in manufacturing.
Many who had been practicing their craft for generations suddenly found themselves unable to compete with the increased efficiency of the machine. They had to find creative ways to apply their skills to a different task, maybe in a different industry. Or learn entirely new skills—like how to run a loom.
Today, AI seems poised to have a similar impact on white-collar professions.
Some workers will become more productive, others will lose jobs to automation, and many jobs that didn't exist will be created.
Creatives will not be immune to the effects of AI. A recent Brookings Institution study predicts AI automation will have the greatest impact on marketing specialists, financial advisers, and computer programmers.
Why? Because AI technology is particularly good at automating time-consuming tasks that follow routine steps using predictable inputs and outputs. There is a part of design—specifically, production—that fits this description.
So how do you advance your career as a designer in a world with AI? Do what a computer can't do—focus on creativity and strategic thinking.
Designers who connect the dots between trends, history, predictions, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats create valuable strategies and tactics.
Those who uncover profitable insights, create exceptional experiences, simplify processes, differentiate products and services, and think divergently will shape the future.
One interesting twist on the Jacquard loom: its impact reached far beyond manufacturing to inspire English mathematician Charles Babbage to create the first computer. In the same way, we might anticipate the impact of AI is not limited to the industries it appears to directly affect today.