Artificial Intelligence in physical product design and manufacture: What does it really mean for people, our planet and the products we buy?


The adoption of AI into design, engineering and manufacturing is being accelerated fast, leading to increased productivity and competitiveness. The race to the ‘top’ is happening now … but most of the conversation is dominated around AI in the realms of ‘digital’, but what about the ‘physical’ man-made object?

What are the physical and tangible impacts of AI on product design now, and for the future?

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Product Design : Materials, construction, functionality : How can we build better products with AI? What does it enable us to do, that we couldn’t do before?

Society and Culture: How dose technology and culture influence each other? What governmental initiatives can help foster promising economies with AI?

Environment: Protection for future generations, how? Are we focusing in the right places?

Education: How will AI shape learning and how we learn? What should we be teaching today, to ensure the right skills of tomorrow?

Raw Materials: How is Cobalt mined? Why are Rare Earth Elements so important in AI physically?

Manufacturing: Will new specialisations emerge? How will businesses create new IP?


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Introduction:

I work in the Industrial Design industry in the UK, and have sought out information to ‘fill in’ gaps in my knowledge. This has usually been driven by conversations with clients and businesses.

For better or for worse, I have become more and more aware of the role new technologies (such as data, AI, ethics) can/will play the entire design process when creating products. Everything from user research, concept design, prototyping, through to certification and manufacture and onwards into the sale of products and how it will effect marketing/branding and society as a whole.