Designing in the Age of AI: Ethics, Transformation and Shifting Workflows

Artificial Intelligence Shifts…

Design sits at the centre of this shift — not merely as a discipline affected by digital tools, but as the real labour force behind societal transformation. Whether in high-tech or low-tech contexts, designers are reconfiguring their workflows, reframing professional taxonomies, and rewriting the conditions of their work and the according methods themselves.

Between Bonanza Approaches and High-End Security

The rise of large language models and image generators has brought into sharp focus the ethical implications of their foundation models and potential impact on how information is seen, processes are shaped, and innovation is fostered. Copyright infringement, biased training data, and the erosion of creative ownership have sparked global pushback — especially among authors, artists, and designers.

The EU’s landmark AI Act, introduced in 2024, was the first legislation to impose a tiered risk framework on AI, with significant consequences for content providers and designers alike. For the design sector, this regulation is not just a boundary which comes with a high regulatory burden; it also might be a springboard.

Designers must now orient themselves within those opportunities and challenges. The ability to shape, master, and critique digital workflows is now core to the designer’s toolkit. But so too is the ability to ask: What is the cost of convenience? What is the source of the data? Who benefits?

In this new landscape, trust becomes a design material in itself — built through transparency, literacy, and intentional practice. The future isn’t about rejecting technology, but about designing its skilled use – to avoid the loss of critical thinking and the thirst to create something convincingly aesthetic and new.