Should we be afraid? Evolution of ChatGPT and what it means for your UI/UX design role

I have been using generative AI tools for a while, especially Grammarly for finetuning my essays and Quillbot for paraphrasing academic writing articles. So, I try my best to follow developments in the tech space especially with the way Artificial intelligence is moving. Yet, I’m a bit ashamed to admit that the release of ChatGPT last November took me completely unawares.

I got to know about ChatGPT during one of my visits to the Library last December. We had an important deadline to meet and I went into the school library like many other classmates. A colleague named Paul met me and said “Divine, what is this struggle for? Have you not heard about ChatGPT, it can help you brainstorm and even generate essays.” That was when I tried it out and I was amazed at how it generated a full blown article within minutes. It was a game changer, or so I thought!

Although my trust issues did not let me submit the article generated by ChatGPT, I started to see the endless possibilities this “mad” tool was coming with and it pushed me to start researching more into Open AI and their offerings. As a budding UX/UI designer who really wants to make something off this field, I have started questioning my career choice and I am sure most curious designers are also in this dilemma. In the grand scheme of things, I am forced to ask, Is this the beginning of the end for UI/UX designers?

Before going further, it is important to describe what I do as a UI/UX designer. I don’t just arrange buttons and pictures on a screen, my work goes beyond that. Before I create a workflow, I would begin with identifying the problems, conducting research that may lead to interviewing users with a view to understanding how the end product would be used. I apply empathy in my day-to-day work and continuously use feedback and adjustments. Adobe XD and Figma are the tools I use for prototyping and collaboration but they are not replacements for the deep research and thinking I put into the work. I believe you already know where I am going with this.

Design Assistance is a thing ChatGPT has introduced and despite the risk it may pose to my job in the future, I am yet again, ashamed to admit that it has helped me to reduce the time needed for brainstorming ideas, writing UX copies and even structuring work flows. The tool is easy to use, just like whatsapp. Within seconds, ChatGPT provides me with alternative ways to phrase or rephrase a button and unlike Quillbot, it gives me logical reasons why I should apply the rephrased button. At this point, this is beginning to feel like a promotional piece for ChatGPT, but it wouldn’t do any harm to admit that this tool has really simplified my job for me although it is an irony that this convenience and support for many core aspects of the design process amplifies the question, Where does that leave the designer?

Seeing the lower barrier to entry and how easy it is to use ChatGPT to write UX copy, generate basic layouts and structure simple user flows using prompts, it is evident that non-designers would gain access to resources that look like professional work and this would in turn, reshape expectations especially when companies are hiring.

I imagine that by this time next year, most companies trying to cut costs and move faster may start relying on AI-generated User Interfaces which would in turn lead to the utilization of fewer human designers. As of today, GPT-4 is already out and although it is not widely available to users, it has the ability to see and explain images, and individuals who know how to combine OPEN AI’s DALL.E 2 with GPT 4 could front themselves as “designers” without exactly getting caught.

To reassure myself, the role of a designer may not entirely disappear but there’s definitely going to be a significant disruption going by the speed of evolvement.

I appreciate that my tone is ridden with melancholy, but one important thing to understand is that despite the fast rise and adoption of tools like ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence is not yet sentient. This means that although AI can generate content in seconds and even suggest ideas, it lacks empathy , context and good judgement skills which are EXTREMELY essential aspects of UI/UX designing. I know that these models are constantly being fed with data but it would take a long time to create something that would understand user behaviour and how user experience is influenced by both cultural and emotional factors. AI lacks real understanding and awareness. This is why designers would continue to be relevant for the next couple of years.

The reality is that designers should start developing their AI prompting skills as it would gradually become a required skillset for design-based roles in the future. It may be too early to draw definitive conclusions as new features continue to roll out but I would reiterate the importance of adapting to these changes and quickly following up. Designers could benefit from regularly following platforms like MIT Technology review, UX collective and Nielsen Norman group to stay informed about how AI is changing the future of UI/UX design.

Author Bio:
Divine is a Master’s student at Teesside University studying Digital Media and Communications, with a focus on UX for digital communication. He is also a designer at Flexxme Technologies LTD, with a growing interest in how emerging technologies like AI are shaping the future of design.