xArch symposium - Keynote 1 - Arturo Tedeschi

AI has been advancing quietly for years in the progressive segment of the architecture and design industry. Machine learning libraries 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 analytical methods and tools based on ML algorithms into traditional 3D environments. However, AI had a surprising "plot twist" or an "unexpected move" with the emergence of text-to-image platforms like Midjourney or Stable Diffusion, based on deep generative models (diffusion models). Such a technology - capable of registering the latent correlation in complex data and somehow closer to the imaginative processes of the human mind - unleashed an unexpected but powerful wave of creativity, emphasizing the ideation phase of design. We can metaphorically state that while we were anticipating 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 emerged: giving designers 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 AI-aided design, poised to have an enormous impact on the profession and education alike. These advancements will enable designers to wield AI technology as a powerful tool, providing them with enhanced control and facilitating the realization of their creative visions.

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Wonderful lecture!