It feels impossible to work in the creative industry today without talking about AI.

Strangely enough, every time the subject comes up, I’m reminded of The Terminator. Back in 1984, Arnold Schwarzenegger travelled back in time to prevent a future dominated by intelligent machines. Fast forward to today, and while AI isn’t sending robots to take over the world (yet!), it is certainly transforming the way designers work.

Having spent more than 30 years in design, I’ve witnessed several major technological shifts. Before computers became the norm, I was creating layouts with marker pens, Rotring pens and layout pads. Then along came the Apple Macintosh, and suddenly everything changed.

I still remember experimenting with the agency’s Mac during my lunch breaks. One senior designer walked past, looked at the screen and dismissed it with the words:

“They’re just a fad.”

I often wonder what he would make of today’s creative tools. I’m fairly sure there’s an iPhone, iPad or MacBook somewhere in his life now.

That experience taught me an important lesson: design never stands still.

Every generation of designers encounters new technology that promises to change the industry forever. Desktop publishing did it. Digital photography did it. The web did it. Social media did it. And now it’s AI’s turn.

A Tool, Not a Replacement

Like many designers, I’ve embraced AI where it genuinely adds value.

I use it to speed up HTML and CSS coding, refine copy, generate ideas, extend or retouch photography, and automate repetitive tasks that would otherwise consume valuable creative time.

Used well, AI becomes another tool in the designer’s toolkit.

But that’s exactly what it is — a tool.

It doesn’t replace strategic thinking. It doesn’t understand brand nuance. It can’t replicate the spark that comes from an off-the-cuff creative idea, a beautifully art-directed campaign, or a perfectly crafted piece of copy that connects emotionally with an audience.

Those moments still come from people.

The Opportunities… and the Risks

AI is also creating opportunities that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.

Small businesses with limited budgets can now access imagery, product visualisation and creative concepts that might previously have been unaffordable. Designers can prototype ideas faster, explore multiple creative directions and spend more time refining the best solution rather than producing countless variations manually.

Of course, AI isn’t perfect.

Its output can be generic, inconsistent or simply wrong. It still requires judgement, experience and creative direction. Left unchecked, it often produces work that feels polished but lacks originality or authenticity.

That’s why human creativity remains the difference between something that’s merely acceptable and something that’s genuinely memorable.

The Future Belongs to Designers Who Adapt

The creative industry has always evolved, and the designers who thrive are usually those willing to evolve with it.

Whether it’s Adobe’s AI-powered tools, generating lifestyle imagery, creating motion graphics, or accelerating production workflows, AI is becoming another ingredient in the creative process—not the whole recipe.

The best designers won’t be replaced by AI.

They’ll be the ones who know how to use it intelligently.

Because at the end of the day, clients don’t hire designers simply to operate software. They hire them to solve problems, generate ideas, tell stories and create work that connects with people.

AI can certainly help with that journey—but creativity is still, and always will be, a distinctly human skill.