231108_GDM_xArch_preprints

The AI plot twist
AI has been advancing quietly for years in the progressive segment of the ar-
chitecture and design industry. Machine learninglibrarires have been integrated
into software like Revit, Rhino-Grasshopper, and standalone applications, offering
functionalities such as machine learning-based optimization and efficient layout
design. This led to heightened anticipation for the integration of powerful analyt-
ical methods and tools based on ML algorithms into traditional 3D environments.
However, AI had a surprising “plot twist” or an “ unexpected move” with the emer-
gence of text-to-image platforms like Midjourney or Stable Diffusion, based on
deep generataive models (diffusion models). Such a technology - capable of registering
the latent correlation in complex data and somehow closer to the imagina-
tive processes of the human mind - unleashed an unexpected but powerful wave
of creataivity, emphasizing the ideation phase of design. We can metaphorically
state that while we were anticipating the AI to fuel the left side of our brain, it
unexpectedly ignited the right side, the realm of creativity.
After this first revolution a new direction is emerging and is about giving design-
ers a deeper control of tools and relative output. Parametric AI, Sketch to Render,
Sketch to 3D and novel layout optimization tools are the next frontiers of the AI
Aided Design, poised to have an enormous impact on the profession and education
alike. These advancements will eanble designers to wield AI technology as a pow-
erful tool, providing them with enhanced control and facilitating the realization
of their creative vision.