Graphic designers could soon become extinct thanks to the impact of artificial intelligence, new research has claimed.

Almost half (49%) of 400 graphic professionals surveyed across the UK, US, France and Germany by CHILI publish reported seeing the manual graphic production industry becoming obsolete within five years.

The study touched on the impact of AI on the graphic design process and experience, which has led to increased demand for personalization projects.

AI could replace graphic designers

Despite artificial intelligence’s promise of assisting and managing workloads, nearly half (48%) of the respondents said that new tools have paradoxically added to their obligations. Nearly one-third said that there’s no too much work to physically complete (29%) and that they lack time for creativity (28%). Moreover, digitization has led to growing demand for brand assets, adding to the influx of tasks.

Consequentially, two in five (39%) have taken time off work due to work-related stress, and the same percentage has considered changing jobs due to rising pressures.

Graphic designers are also proving to be unhappy with their existing workplaces, with around half reporting delayed product launches (52%) and falling victim to rising operational costs (49%).

Businesses are looking to overcome these challenges by hiring new talent (34%), upskilling existing teams (34%) and integrating AI on an ad-hoc basis (33%), however not all graphic designers feel threatened by artificial intelligence. More than half (56%) say that the technology still struggled with understanding generational differences in design.

“It’s evident that the industry is on the brink of a major change," noted CHILI publish’s CEO, Kevin Goeminne. "Skilled graphic designers will always be essential for generating creative ideas and concepts, but AI and automation can help manage growing workloads, improving efficiency and delivering high-quality results.”

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