From social media to school campuses, AI is everywhere these days. But not all Art & Design teachers are excited about how it might affect students.
The use of AI is quickly rising, and it’s causing job loss for creatives. In a 2024 survey by the Society of Authors, a UK trade union, about 26% of illustrators reported losing work to AI. At A&D, art educators are aware of this trend and preparing their students for careers in an industry where AI is beginning to dominate.
The job market is changing because of AI use. Artists have said it’s not so much an issue that creatives may be using AI as a tool to complete work but that companies are using AI instead of hiring people to complete jobs. This is a cause of concern for current students who plan to enter the creative workforce.
Photography teacher Ms. McLaughlin said she sees AI already affecting the photography job market, particularly in advertising. When companies rely on AI rather than hiring people, it means fewer jobs are available for creatives. According to Business Insider, WPP, a multinational advertising company, recently executed a major restructuring, conducting layoffs to streamline costs using AI in place of employees.
AI is very prevalent in today’s society, and it’s something that’s becoming hard to avoid, said Mr. Pasetsky, A&D’s assistant principal of art.
“We can’t ignore AI. It’s the ‘right now.’ It’s not the future — actually, it’s the present,” he said. “And to ignore it, put our head in the sand, [means] we’re not gonna be prepared for it.”
Mr. Spaterella, who teaches graphic design, talked about how he believes it’s OK for A&D students to use AI for inspiration or as a source, but not the final product. He said that he and Mr. Bencsko are incorporating AI into projects so that students are ready for the job market and grasp how to use it as a tool without relying on it for their final concepts.
One way A&D’s graphic design teachers are using AI in class is in a recent car magazine project. Students needed to design a car magazine and include images of what their given car’s interior would look like. They were able to describe what they wanted the car to look like into a generative AI, and AI generated the images for them. They were also able to create settings that the vehicle was driving in. The point of the project was not the images but the layout and content of the magazine, so it was considered an acceptable use of AI, just like placeholder text would be.
Spaterella and Bencsko said they are aware that AI isn’t going away, so they want students to know how to use it properly.
“That’s a big thing now, with people worrying about their jobs because of the effects of AI,” McLaughlin said. “That’s where I say, well, do we need it, first of all? What is AI giving us? What is AI really offering that a human being can’t do without time and thought?”
Seeing how AI has been so prevalent in recent years (and how many predict even more AI involvement going forward), the world could soon see a shift in how creative industries operate. Thankfully, A&D teachers are making sure their students aren’t going to be replaced — instead, they can work alongside AI to be successful.
