AI and Lighting Design: Creators, Challenges, and Protecting the Craft
The International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) Enlighten Americas hosted a lively session exploring how AI can blend with human artistry in lighting design. The panel discussed how AI might change workflows, improve practices, and reshape roles. They shared practical tips and urged designers to think critically about AI’s role in the industry’s future.
Panelists:Emad Hasan (IALD, moderator) Matt Alleman (IALD), Ketryna Fares (IALD), Brandon Thrasher (IALD, CLD).
AI as a Partner, Not a Replacement
Emad Hasan kicked off with a clear point: AI is a “gold rush” and it’s not going away. The focus is how AI will shape how designers think, create, and deliver projects. Matt Alleman called AI a “partner” that speeds up messy tasks, not a replacement for expertise. For instance, he noted a mentor’s idea that “there’s no new ideas”—both humans and AI combine existing patterns creatively. Brandon Thrasher agreed AI can handle repetitive tasks but can’t match human instincts. “AI can’t read a client’s face or pivot mid-meeting,” he said. Brandon also pointed out that his firm, HLB Lighting Design, has a formal AI policy. Meanwhile, Ketryna Fares warned that quick AI outputs might make designs look similar. “We must keep our work unique,” she stressed. “Speed doesn’t equal originality.”
Helping New Designers Grow
The panel worried about young designers’ growth. For example, Matt cited studies showing AI overuse can weaken critical thinking, much like learning gaps during COVID. Brandon added, “Expertise comes from practice. If AI does your layouts, how do you learn when to use a 1,000-lumen light over a 10,000-lumen one?” Ketryna suggested using AI as a teaching tool. She proposed asking it to explain choices or cite sources to build skills. She also shared a mentor’s advice: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Therefore, firms should give juniors hands-on tasks and use AI to support, not replace, learning.
Practical AI Uses with Clear Rules
The panel shared how they use AI today. For instance, teams use it to write concept statements, summarize meetings, draft emails, help non-native English speakers with briefs, create simple visuals, write code snippets, and polish graphics. AI saves time on routine tasks, letting designers focus on clients, mockups, and quality checks.
However, rules are key. Emad noted some clients ban AI or require disclosures. Matt’s firm avoids uploading private data, watermarks AI content, and requires human approval. Brandon compared AI to an intern: “Give it small tasks, check its sources, and verify the work.” Ketryna emphasized clear records: “If AI helps, note how and why. That keeps us accountable and teaches critical thinking.”
Ethics, Energy, and a Green Challenge
Audience questions raised AI’s energy use. Emad, who used AI to research (using power for eight hours of a home), said U.S. data centers could hit 7-12% of electricity use by 2028, up from 4% in 2023. Training ChatGPT-4 created 22,900 tons of CO2. Ketryna urged “smart use”: choose tools with clear energy and water data, push for laws, and limit AI to high-value tasks. She also worried about AI’s broader impact, like in social media. Brandon suggested using AI only when it improves designs or client work. Meanwhile, Matt hoped smaller, efficient AI models will cut energy use soon.
Protecting Data and Staying Competitive
Data is a big concern. For example, portfolios and photos can be used to train AI without permission. Matt advised picking tools with strong data protection and keeping sensitive files private. Brandon noted that photographers often own image rights, making it hard to control data. Ketryna said firms should share general methods but protect unique ideas. “Share the ‘how,’ keep the ‘why,’” she advised. Brandon predicted new roles like prompt experts or data managers as firms build custom AI tools. An audience member, a software developer, mentioned IES partnerships to create lighting-specific AI, raising questions about data sharing and costs.
Risks and the Human Touch
AI outputs are drafts, not final products. Errors, copyright issues, and mistakes are risks, and designers remain responsible. Brandon stressed checking AI’s calculations, fixtures, and codes. Matt’s firm bans AI for concepts and sketches to keep designs human. Ketryna added, “Clients hire us for judgment, not just visuals. A human view will shine as AI grows common.” Thus, authenticity and context make designs stand out.
Education, Fees, and New Roles
Audience members asked if AI’s speed means lower fees. The panel disagreed, saying saved time goes to better mockups, simulations, and client work. Matt suggested showing this value in proposals, like offering extra studies. Ketryna said schools should teach students to question AI—checking sources and ethics—not just use it. Brandon pushed for real-world experience like site visits, which AI can’t copy. Ketryna noted AI helps industry groups like IALD and IES with tasks like social media, freeing volunteers to advance the field.
What’s Next for Lighting Design
The panel saw a future with better software, data sharing, and simulations. Matt hoped AI lets designers focus on people, not paperwork. Ketryna predicted a demand for human, emotional lighting over AI’s “perfect” results. Brandon stressed execution—such as commissioning—as the real skill. Emad foresaw a split: high-end projects will need designers for artistry, while basic layouts may use AI. Brandon suggested industry groups could use AI to simplify code searches, avoiding endless document loops.
There was tremendous audience participation in the AI segment
Chip Israel’s Call to Action
Chip Israel asked, “How many use Autodesk or AutoCAD? Quite a few hands were raised. Are we giving them our designs? Should IALD and IES fight this to protect our craft?” He warned that tech giants could automate designs, bypassing specialists. Others echoed this, with one questioning AI’s energy use versus sustainability goals and another noting IES’s work with developers on lighting AI tools. The panel urged collective action through policies and education to protect the industry.
A Fun Note
An audience member jokingly suggested skipping “thank you” to AI chatbots, claiming it could save enough energy to power 160,000 homes for a day. The room laughed.
Takeaway
AI can make lighting designers faster and better, but only with care. The industry must protect new designers’ learning, secure data, and keep the human touch—judgment and empathy—at the heart of the work. As Chip Israel urged, IALD and IES should lead to ensure AI supports, not replaces, the craft.
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