The Project

This was an online roundtable discussion with leading innovators from the worlds of automotive design, technology, and education. We came together under the auspices of BMW Designworks’ Foresight Team to explore the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and creativity. As AI rapidly evolves, it continues to blur the lines between human imagination and machine intelligence, leading us to question what it means to be creative in the modern age.

Participants included: Michael Fullman is the founder and creative director of VTPro Design; David Carroll is a professor at Parsons School of Design within The New School; Alan Cowen is the co-founder and CEO of Hume AI; Hussein Al Attar is a senior automotive designer at BMW Group; and myself.

Exploring AI as a Tool for Imagination

I started out by hightlighting the potential of AI tools like Midjourney and ChatGPT to serve as catalysts for creativity. My experience with these tools at a basic level is that they provide users with the ability to imagine and create worlds that would otherwise remain locked in their imaginations, inarticulatable. “AI can act as a collaborator, enhancing our imagination,” I offered. I wanted to emphasize the role of AI in transforming the way we conceptualize and develop ideas. However, David Carroll, an associate professor at Parsons School of Design, raised an essential point: the need for balance between creativity and the accuracy of these AI systems. He warned of the “hallucinatory” quality AI can exhibit, weaving fabricated narratives that could potentially mislead users. (Although I somewhat provocatively suggested that hallucination, such as it is, might be a feature of imagination and could be recognized as such depending on the contexts. The dominant modality within the AI practice space — at least the commercial aspects — is that ‘hallucination’ is a bug to be eliminated, not featured nor highlighted.)

As AI becomes more ingrained in the creative process, ethical considerations around its usage become increasingly important. Michael Fullman, Chief Creative Officer at VTPro Design, shared insights on using AI responsibly in creative and production environments. The legal implications of AI-produced content are still being navigated, with notable concerns about ownership and copyright emerging at the forefront of these discussions.

One tangible example discussed was Adobe’s new offering, Firefly, a tool designed to address some of these intellectual property concerns. By training its models on its own stock images and public domain material, Adobe attempts to forge a pathway toward more responsible use of AI-generated content. However, the question remains: how can we ensure that AI-generated content is used ethically and transparently?

Our conversation somewhat naturally veered towards the broader implications of AI on society and human interaction. What role will AI play in our consumption of media and entertainment? Will it shift our preferences towards more personalized, synthesized experiences? These questions remain to be fully answered.

We collectively contemplated the idea of a future where vehicles become more than just modes of transportation. Martin, from BMW Designworks, suggested that cars might evolve into extensions of our living spaces, fully integrated into our digital ecosystems and daily lives. This shift would position vehicles as comprehensive platforms for entertainment, productivity, and connectivity.

Imagining New Futures

I concluded my thoughts with my usual somewhat evangelical exhortation for more immersive world-building exercises to visualize the potential futures AI might create. “We need to find ways to build and experience these futures in a tangible way,” was my summary conclusion. This will be familiar as my hard advocation for creative approaches in imagining how AI can be integrated into society.

What I wold say came out of this roundtable was a conclusion that as AI continues to shape the creative landscape, it also naturally challenges us to rethink our understanding of imagination and creativity. While AI offers unprecedented opportunities for innovation, the responsibility lies with us to wield these tools wisely, ensuring they serve to enhance rather than compromise our human experience.

The synergy between AI and humanity is still unfolding, and it demands more than just thoughtful consideration and deliberate action: it requires new language and patterns of creativity as the language we have now is not big enough for the landscape we are entering.