After AI, now comes AGI, are designers headed for extinction?

Right now there is a lot of buzz around AI. Looking at ChatGPT, Midjourney or DALL-E, it often feels like technology has already reached its limit. But in reality, what we are using now is only a tiny part of the AI universe, what is called ‘narrow AI’.

This type of AI can only operate within the data it has been trained on. It cannot go beyond those boundaries. For example, Midjourney can generate impressive images but the poor thing has no inherent understanding of what ‘branding’ actually is.

So the real game has not even fully begun yet. The real shift will come when Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) enters the market.

Simply put, AGI has no fixed boundaries. Just like a human being can cook, drive a car and learn a new language at the same time, AGI will also be able to handle very different tasks simultaneously.

At present, creating branding content involves multiple tools. Perplexity for research, ChatGPT for copywriting, Midjourney for images and Canva or Adobe Firefly for design. Different tools, different people.

But with AGI, all of this multitasking will be handled by a single system. It will learn on its own, improve from past mistakes, and most importantly, it will have a form of ‘common sense’, something that has been uniquely human until now.

Right now, we are so fascinated with AI that we often overlook its fundamental limitations. In reality, it has no mind or consciousness of its own. If you feed it millions of images and datasets, it simply learns patterns and recombines them to generate something ‘new’, that’s it. It does not actually understand what it is creating. It has no access to abstract reasoning or true human emotion behind the output.

Despite these limitations, generative AI is already transforming the world we know. The numbers are staggering. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, nearly 15 billion images were generated globally using text-to-image algorithms. On average, more than 34 million images are being created every single day. Another survey suggests that around 83 per cent of visual creators and designers are already using AI in some part of their workflow for assistance. And this trend is only accelerating, it is growing at rocket speed.

At present, major tech giants like Google, OpenAI, Meta and Anthropic are aggressively working toward building Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

However, this technology is still largely in the theoretical stage. Even so, many believe that AGI may soon be knocking on our door.

AGI is far more powerful than simply typing a prompt to generate a cute cat image. Imagine this, AGI analyses a company’s budget, target audience, objectives and within seconds produces an entire brand identity. From logo to colour palette, typography and complete brand guidelines. What currently takes a designer weeks and countless cups of coffee could be done in minutes.

Now take it a step further. Think of ‘live design’. An AGI system could track how an advertisement is performing in real time on social media, analyse audience engagement instantly and automatically adjust layouts, colours or even copy to maximise reach and impact.

While it is difficult for a human to master logo design, 3D animation, UI/UX and motion graphics all at once, AGI would handle all of it effortlessly. It could design a static logo, convert it into 3D and simultaneously build the app interface around it. Even those famously vague client requests like ‘make it a bit luxurious but minimal’ would no longer be a problem. AGI could directly interact with the client, understand feedback and generate hundreds of design variations instantly.

In Bangladesh, designers and agencies are already using AI but mostly at a very basic level. The bigger issue lies in our education system. AI technology has not yet been formally integrated into university-level curriculum. What is more concerning is a growing attitude among students, a reluctance toward foundational work and theoretical learning. The rush to become designers through shortcuts is, in many cases, holding them back the most.

Let’s be honest, AI has shaken the ground beneath graphic designers to some extent. That is a reality. But does that mean the entire profession will go extinct like dinosaurs? Not quite. What AI is doing is not eliminating design jobs altogether, rather reshaping the nature of the profession itself.

The biggest impact can be noticed at the entry level. Those who previously relied on customizing templates or producing basic logos and banners for freelance work are seeing their market shrink rapidly. These mechanical, repetitive tasks are now being handled effortlessly by AI. As a result, demand for such ‘copy-paste’ level work is declining fast.

At the same time, clients are beginning to question why they should pay designers high fees when AI can produce similar outputs at a fraction of the cost. This has driven down the overall market value of design services. Freelance platforms are now highly competitive, with aggressive underpricing becoming the norm. Junior designers are especially affected, as they struggle to find even small projects to build experience.

Another noticeable trend is the growing flood of AI-generated visuals on social media, which are, most of the time, visually perfect but often lifeless. These designs lack narrative depth, emotional nuance, and cultural context. As a result, creative diversity and originality are slowly being diluted.

However, there is still a clear silver lining. At its core, AI is just an algorithm. It cannot fully grasp human emotion, cultural sensitivity, or the long-term strategic thinking behind a brand. That is something it has not yet mastered. In the end, the real risk is not for designers themselves but for those who once equated design merely with operating software.

There is really only one way forward. Focus on your mind, not just your tools or software. In our country, many designers and freelancers outside formal fine arts education often assume that success in this field is impossible without an academic background. That is not true at all. With consistent effort, proper mentorship and serious study, anything is possible.

In simple terms, a designer is no longer just a hands-on ‘craftsman’. The role is evolving. A designer in the age of AGI must become a ‘director’ or a sharp, strategic thinker.

Ultimately, if your work is driven by deep thinking, original ideas and a genuine human touch filled with emotion, no technological disruption will be able to displace you. Instead, in any scenario, your value in the market will remain high. You will be the real ‘boss’!

Fundamental creativity: Put the mouse aside occasionally and pick up a pencil. Doodle in a sketchbook. Draw inspiration from nature and your surroundings. Observe and analyze a wide range of visuals. Stop blindly copying, start creating.

Experimentation and judgment: AGI may generate thousands of options in seconds but you must develop the ‘visual grammar'' to decide what truly fits a brand. The ability to separate gold from garbage is what will set you apart.

Theoretical knowledge and psychology: Strengthen your understanding of colour psychology, consumer behaviour and storytelling in branding. There is no substitute for research and continuous learning.

Human-computer interaction: While AGI can build interfaces, only humans can truly understand how users feel while interacting with them. That’s why UX thinking is essential.

Make AI your assistant: There is no alternative to learning AI tools. Don’t be discouraged. Use them as assistants. Focus on mastering new technologies and becoming versatile in different kinds of work.

Modern technology awareness: Screens are no longer limited to 2D. Basic understanding of AR, VR, 3D modeling and spatial design is increasingly important in today’s evolving design landscape.