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AI as a Design Collaborator

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Architects working with AI can solve complex challenges more quickly, sustainably, and profitably



 

Architecture is inherently complex. A building of any considerable size must meet thousands of requirements related to design, construction, and use. Then there’s design intent—a vision for the architectural experience. Maintaining design intent while meeting requirements and solving problems is extremely challenging, at least for human minds. Artificial intelligence (AI), on the other hand, excels at meeting diverse requirements at once—even requirements that might seem to conflict. Autodesk Research works with leading architecture, engineering, and construction companies to help them employ AI agents to create buildings more quickly, more sustainably, and more profitably. The team helped Obayashi, a leading Japanese design and construction company, to accelerate their design process with AI, reducing design time by 50%—with reductions of 80% or more anticipated after further development. “AI alone is not going to solve our complex problems in architecture, engineering, and construction,” Mehdi Nourbakhsh says. “It is the combination of human and AI that can enable us to move forward.”

About the speaker

Mehdi Nourbakhsh is an author, speaker, and the CEO of YegaTech, a technology consulting company focused on helping architecture, engineering, and construction companies take advantage of AI. Previously, he led an AI studio at Autodesk Research. He holds a PhD in Design Computing and a master’s degree in Computer Science and has worked as both a structural engineer and a construction manager.

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