AI will lead to a new way of working
Artificial Intelligence will change how architects work. The question is how it will do that and how we should be responding.
The famous IBM slide from a 1979 presentation. The original image was the wrong proportions, so we have used AI to widen it.
Much of what we as architects do, and have done for centuries, is hold knowledge and coordinate varied inputs into single sets of information. In early stage work this includes capturing and translating a concept into visual representations. In later stages a lot of work goes into technical drawings. It is not a huge leap to think that a lot of this day to day work of architecture will ultimately be done by AI. It would bring about a significant change to how our profession operates and resources its work.
‘I don’t think we’ve seen what AI could do very quickly, which is make obsolete or redundant big swathes of what we used to think of as higher order knowledge work. It’s going to be profoundly disruptive.’ - Barack Obama
So what does this mean for architects, and how should we be adapting our business models to respond to this disruption in how we work?
We believe that in the new AI world, architectural practices will thrive off two key principles, which have fed into the founding principles of New-works: accountability and relationships.
As the famous IBM slide made clear in 1979, a computer can never be held accountable. The reassurance of professionals authoring and taking liability for the work they offer is important, regardless of how that work was generated.
We also believe that our clients want a deeper human relationship with their Architects that goes beyond accountability: The joy of creation in collaboration, the process and authorship.
How do we generate that depth of relationship?
In the same interview Obama’s gave this advice to today’s young people:
‘Worry more about what you want to do than what you want to be… If you’re absorbed by what you’re doing one or two things is going to happen. You’re going to get really good at it, and the journey will have been a good one.’
We think this is the power of specialising: Focusing on doing what you are passionate about and collaborating with other equally passionate people to build relationships and inspire the people around you.
AI has the potential to amplify our passions and increase the value of our relationships with our clients and collaborators. This is where we see the future for architects.
Tom Lewith, New-works Founding Director