"Mate AI Can Now Do It All"

In my recent search for more freelance sports design opportunities, I reached out to somebody who responded with "Mate AI can now do it all". There is some truth in that, for sure, but it stung nonetheless, having been sent such a short, punchy response.

This response will sit with me for a while, and I know that, possibly until AI takes over everything completely. It leaves digital-based jobs in jeopardy a little bit and makes me, in particular, think: are graphic designers going extinct? The optimistic side of me doesn't want to believe that, as within the design world, there's lots of talk about the "human eye" or "human touch", which AI simply does not possess.

Realistically speaking though, it is a tool that is growing quicker than we know. There is no guarantee of what jobs will still be alive and thriving in a decade's time. On the contrary, maybe the value of an independent designer actually increases if AI or big companies become too expensive or overused. Maybe there'll be an eventual need for more human designers.

It's all speculative, no doubt, and impossible to know where exactly we will be in a decade. But what we do know right now, is that AI is moving quickly and shaking things up. Even with all this, design isn't just about making something look good - it's about listening, understanding amd connecting with people. That part still feels pretty human.