Description
Dr. Tonya Custis, senior director of artificial intelligence (AI) at Autodesk, draws on 20 years of experience in AI research to explore both the limitations and the transformative potential of AI in design workflows. While powerful, AI is often misunderstood—it’s frequently perceived as a catch-all magical solution rather than a tool with specific strengths and weaknesses. As AI becomes more commonly used in daily life, expectations rise for its role in professional tools. The best way to move beyond the hype, fear, and uncertainty surrounding AI is to develop an understanding of its history, limitations, and the types of tasks it’s best suited to help with. In this session, Dr. Custis will demystify how AI actually works, examine current trends, and outline the unique challenges of applying AI to design workflows—particularly those involving complex 3D design data. She’ll also share some recent work from the Autodesk AI Lab, offering a glimpse into the current state of AI in design and what the future may hold.
Key Learnings
- Explore the concept of AI as a tool (a "how" rather than a "what"), and discover common misconceptions about AI’s capabilities.
- Discover limitations of AI, including issues related to data constraints, algorithmic limitations, and psychological biases.
- Learn about the current state of the art in AI, and the challenges of applying AI to complex 3D design data and workflows.
- Learn about current research and applications from the Autodesk AI Lab and discover their implications for the future of design.