“AI became less of a design machine and more of a sparring partner and quick to respond, but only as good as the questions we asked.”

 

— Daniel Graff, Mark Clark, Dan Li, and Lei Xia, Design Thinking with Artificial Intelligence (2026)

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Overview

Artificial intelligence (AI) is explored as a creative collaborator rather than simply a technological tool. Multiple AI agents become collaborative partners that co-create, co-learn, and augment the design process alongside human teams. Thoughtful human direction, critical reflection, and ethical judgment remain essential for designing responsible and meaningful futures.

 

Reading Material

• Lee, 2025 | From computation to curation: Expanding the boundaries of design practice

• Ma et al., 2026 | AI-assisted divergent pedagogy

• Yu, 2025 | AI as a co-creator and a design material: Transforming the design process

• Zhao et al., 2025 | Experimental study on improving the quality of interdisciplinary design