How Design Can Use AI to Support Sustainability

Autodesk Education Autodesk Education February 8, 2022

1 min read

Design has its share of innovative technologies to address sustainability issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), which can help determine how to build (and re-build) structures to last longer and use minimal energy. Autodesk is leading the way in AI technologies, partnering with academia to ensure the next generation of designers and engineers are more informed about how they can increase efficiency and embrace sustainable practices.

In a recent MIT Technology Review article, Autodesk Vice President of Research Mike Haley delved into AI—which he says isn’t intended to replace humans on design projects, it’s meant to be a partner. This is especially true for generative design processes, which help designers explore varied solutions to complex problems.

“Decisions that affect sustainability happen in the conceptual phase, when you’re imagining what you’re going to create,” Haley tells MIT Technology Review. “If you can begin to put features into software, into decision-making systems, early on, they can guide designers toward more sustainable solutions by affecting them at this early stage.”

Read more of Haley’s insights on the AI-human partnership here.