Autonomous Tools and Design

Designers increasingly leverage autonomous software tools that make decisions independent of the designer. Examples abound in virtually every design field. For example, semiconductor chip designers use tools that make decisions about placement and logic checking. Game designers rely on software that generates initial drafts of virtual worlds. Autonomous tools employ artificial intelligence methods, including machine learning, pattern recognition, meta-heuristics, and evolutionary algorithms to generate design artifacts beyond any human's capabilities. A naïve view suggests these tools will someday replace human designers in the design process. An alternative perspective is that humans will continue to play an important role but also that this role is changing.