AI in Design and Research: Revolution or Regression?

Should UX designers embrace AI to drive efficiency and stay relevant (AI Enthusiast) or focus on originality and differentiation opportunities outside of AI (Positive Sceptic)? This debate will explore AI's impact on the creative industry and what it means for UX designers in terms of product development and professional growth.

The Combatants:

• **The Enthusiast: **An advocate for empowering ourselves with AI and embracing it across all processes.
• **The Sceptic: **A critic of the over-reliance on AI, arguing that it may lead to superficial conclusions and similar outputs across the industry.
  The Format:
• Each participant will outline their core arguments for or against the use of AI in design and research.
• The debate will be divided into three rounds, each focusing on a key point of contention:
  • UX Research: Can AI-driven research help build impactful products, or is it designed to give superficial conclusions and data?
  • Creative Design: How much should UX designers embrace AI across the creative process. Will it lead to everyone going down the same road?
  • Job Security: Can AI tools enhance job security by making designers more efficient, or will it make the designer role obsolete?
• Moderator Q&A: The moderator will pose questions to each debater, allowing them to dive deeper into their positions and address each other's arguments.
• Closing Statements: Each participant will summarise their key takeaways and offer a final perspective on the future role of AI in UX design and research.