Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant prospect. It is now present in agencies, on workstations, at the very heart of the design process. In just a few months, it has established itself as a tool capable of generating images, producing renderings, sketching plans, and even suggesting design concepts. This rapid, almost abrupt evolution directly challenges the professions of interior design and architecture. The figures illustrate the scale of the phenomenon: according to a recent study by Coface and the Observatory of Threatened and Emerging Jobs, up to 5 million jobs could be affected in France. Even more striking, this transformation primarily impacts skilled professions: nearly 27% of tasks in the fields of architecture and engineering could potentially be automated. Where previous technological revolutions mainly transformed repetitive tasks, AI is now tackling functions that have been considered profoundly human: designing, drawing, imagining.
In reality, the transformation is already underway. Some firms are experimenting with these tools to accelerate the sketching phases, test variations, and produce visuals in minutes. AI is becoming an accelerator, a generator of options, sometimes even a catalyst for ideas. It saves time on time-consuming tasks, broadens the scope of possibilities, and enriches the initial planning stages of a project. But this increasing power also raises deeper questions. If an image can be generated in seconds, what becomes of the value of the craft? If a plan can be automated, where does the expertise lie? And above all, if everything becomes possible, how can we continue to make choices? Because this is undoubtedly where the real dividing line lies. AI excels at production, variation, and optimization. It compiles, combines, and extrapolates… But it doesn't contextualize. It doesn't sense a place, understand a use case, or grasp the implicit constraints of a project or the unique needs of a client. It does not replace intuition, experience, or the ability to make judgments.
For interior designers and architects, the challenge is therefore not so much to resist as to reposition their role. As certain tasks become automated, the profession seems to be shifting towards more strategic dimensions: creative direction, project storytelling, a deep understanding of how spaces will be used, and client support. These are all skills that are difficult to replicate, as they are deeply intertwined with human interaction. The question of creativity remains. Is AI standardizing it by relying on existing databases? Or, on the contrary, can it become a tool for exploration, capable of opening up new avenues? Probably a bit of both. It all depends on how it is used: as a substitute or as a partner.
In this context, new skills are emerging. Knowing how to formulate an intention, guide a generation of projects, sort, select, and refine. Learning to engage with the machine without losing one's own voice. But also, more broadly, strengthening what makes the profession valuable: a project-oriented approach, analytical skills, and sensitivity to spaces. Recent history has shown that every technological evolution redefines practices, and artificial intelligence is no exception. However, it demands rapid adaptation and raises a crucial question: what do we want to delegate, and what do we want to continue to embody?
Brice Alexandre Roboam