AI and the death of originality 💀 🪦 💐
AI is the ultimate remix machine. It hoovers up existing work, chews it up, and spits out something that looks fresh but is (in reality) an algorithmic patchwork of everything that came before. Today’s hot question: is AI actually killing originality or is it just exposing the fact that we were never that original to begin with? (Apologies but let’s be honest, we’ve all been feeding off each others ideas for centuries, I’d like to quote Picasso on his take here: “Good artists copy, great artists steal”.)
If AI is trained on past designs, and existing styles, then where’s the room for something new? We risk feeding a loop of aesthetic déjà vu, where everything starts looking eerily familiar. (It’s like watching Hollywood churn out another reboot of a franchise that should’ve stayed in the archives.)
But here’s the thing: AI doesn’t think, it predicts. It doesn’t imagine, it assembles. Originality, the real, gut-punching, culture-shifting kind, still comes from human instinct. Those unexpected leaps, weird ideas, and gut decisions that don’t make sense in an algorithm. AI can make a mood board in seconds, but it can’t tell a story that feels human.
How do we make sure AI doesn’t turn design into a soulless copy-paste machine?
By using it as a tool, not a crutch. By pushing beyond the obvious. By making sure the spark that makes great design great (that messy, unpredictable, deeply human part) doesn’t get lost in a sea of AI-generated sameness.
Because at the end of the day, AI can only remix what we create. So let’s give it something worth remixing.
This post was inspired by my upcoming industry talk at Chelmsford Collage. I’ve asked students to submit questions in advance so I can structure the talk around their queries. AI came up a lot and it seems to be a major concern for new designers. I’ve always been very positive about AI being a great tool rather than an obstacle and I would like young designers and students to embrace these tools early, to become native in them and not fear change. We’ve all been through a lot of shifts in this industry and there will be more to come. Tools change but a brilliant mind and creative flair are truly timeless (and deeply human).