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This year's Tallinn Design Festival conference featured discussions on the rapid development and deployment of AI. Among other things, the conference discussions predicted the impact of AI on the design sector, weighted up the pros and cons, and offered practical advice. Society is expected to gradually embrace the changes, which will also be reflected in the economy and everyday life. Where will designers stand and how will they embrace the new era?

Do the new times call for innovative designers? What is Design 4.0? Can designers compete with artificial intelligence? Are designers at risk of unemployment? Can digital culture also help reduce our environmental footprint?

These and many other questions found answeres by Estonian and international experts.

Surya Vanka, a keynote speaker with Microsoft experience from the Industrial Designers Society of America, showed that designers can play a key role in shaping AI for the future, which complements rather than replaces human capabilities. Carlo Branzaglia from the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna talked about how to avoid stereotypes when using AI. Darren Yeo, a design innovator from Singapore, explained why designers need to adapt to new changes and gives practical examples of how to get started.

Clothing designer Xenia Joost explored how cutting-edge technology merges with sustainable practices, leading to creative and environmentally conscious solutions that shape the future of fashion. Interdisciplinary designer Haeun Kim presented different models of collaboration between AI and designers and discussed the opportunities and challenges of creative people. Gothenburg-based designer Hugo Jonasson covered the subject and impact of utilizing artificial intelligence tools for image generation in the process for industrial design. Jaan Aru, Professor at the University of Tartu, discussed whether AI is more creative than human intelligence and the impact of AI on children and the education system.  

Surya Vanka

Carlo Branzaglia

Darren Yeo

Xenia Joost

Haeun Kim

Hugo Jonasson

Jaan Aru


SCHEDULE:
10:45 Gathering with coffee

11:00 Introduction
Ilona Gurjanova (EST)

11:15 Design & AI: The Next Oppenheimer Moment?
Surya Vanka (USA)

12:00 Design and AI. Evidence based practice / practice based evidence
Carlo Branzaglia (ITA)

12:30 Design 4.0: Leading Design in the New Industry
Darren Yeo (SGP)

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Sustainable Fashion in the Digital Age: Embracing Design 4.0
Xenia Joost (EST)

14:30 Craft 2.0 - Collaboration with Artificial Intelligence
Haeon Kim (ROK)

15:00 AI in the Industrial Design Process - A Short Case Study
Hugo Jonasson (SWE)

15:30 Creativity in the age of Artificial Intelligence
Jaan Aru (EST)

16:15 Panel Discussion