Shortage of domain knowledge
There is so much we can build. Developers are ready, supported by agents that get stronger every day. What we are short of is the domain knowledge to build what each industry needs.
Lack of expertise
We ask, AI follows. Our domain knowledge is what they need in order to best process and advise. Their knowledge is superficial, predictable, and heavy with the human bias you can find online. They have not learned a trade hands-on. The data we hold in our systems lacks the "why" that makes any brief make sense.
Available knowledge is getting worse
As AI use cases multiply, the domain knowledge has even less need to be recorded for the next generation. The information available gets more bloated with safe, subpar, AI-created generalities that are neither vetted by experienced humans nor triaged and archived as they get corrected. Over time that bloat reduces the quality of the models and the quality of their outputs, so fresh models on fresh data have to be released as the old ones get worse.
How can we maintain domain knowledge and build upon it, not dilute it?
How can we maintain domain knowledge and build upon it, not dilute it?
Why it is hard
Accepting that learning the tool was not the actual skill we take with us. Our experience is enough.
What changed
Embracing the process instead of the execution helps our speed to lead, pivot and react. It helps us lead teams, agents, projects and deliverables.
Continuity
AI tools let us explore further and execute faster than ever. The output improves, and our value rises with it. What makes a designer more powerful than before is the managing of those tools as we listen deeply and care about delivering successful designs and solutions. Just as engineers no longer need to read every line of code, a designer no longer has to open every file and every tool. They are not the only ones who may feel that AI is taking their job. That is hard to accept for many, but I wholeheartedly believe this is simply a pivot toward leading the intake and the output, refocusing the arts on the tangible rather than on the software.
I feel it more important than ever to slow down, and write... not to become irrelevant and lose my value, but to find stability and balance with AI's thirst for domain knowledge.