Beyond the generously thick head of hair ChatGPT gave me, I have a couple of questions about these increasingly-sophisticated AI-generated images.
Is this a tool we can use, or a threat to the work we do?
Let’s start with the commercial question. Can AI-generated images be used in a business setting?
Technically yes, but there are limitations. Most AI-generated images cannot be copyrighted because they lack the required level of human authorship. And because the source material used to train many AI models is unclear or legally ambiguous, using these images in production carries potential IP risk. For enterprise or brand-savvy clients, this is a red flag. For smaller businesses, perhaps less so.
That said, AI already has a clear place in creative workflows:
𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: AI is excellent for visualising quick ideas or concept directions, particularly when presenting to non-design stakeholders who need to see ideas to understand them.
𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Designers can use AI to extend backgrounds, remove unwanted elements, or adapt compositions for different formats, particularly helpful when working with copyrighted assets in a controlled environment.
According to a 2024 Adobe survey, 𝟲𝟭% 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, mainly for inspiration and content iteration. This isn’t fringe anymore, it’s mainstream.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀?
Right now, AI outputs are typically flat, rasterised images. That’s a big limitation. Real production work often demands nicely-labeled, layered, editable source files (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc), something AI can’t consistently deliver yet.
Still, we’re likely not far off. Once AI can generate editable files with labelled, nested layers, it may reduce the need for junior designers who typically handle that foundational work.
And this presents a long-term challenge: 𝗜𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱? After all, you don’t wake up one day as a creative director. You grow into it—with mentorship, practice, and opportunity.
Here’s the good news: 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. The shift from paste-up boards to desktop publishing, from Flash to responsive design, each new wave created both fear and opportunity. And in every case, the designers who thrived weren’t the ones who resisted change, but the ones who leaned into it.
So yes, AI will change how we work. But it won’t replace the value of human creativity, judgment, or storytelling. The question isn’t whether AI will impact your job, but 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.