Digital Age Interview with Nie Yongzhen: Discussing Taiwan Power Company's Logo AI Controversy, What Is AI's True Impact on Designers?

Nei Yongzhen responds to the Taiwan Power Company logo controversy, pointing out that AI designers are only a fleeting trend, emphasizing that the core value of design lies in taste and practical experience. Industry insiders also offer a more interesting perspective, noting that as AI generation technology becomes more widespread, actual clients ("Party A") are also being trained.

Digital Age interview with Nei Yongzhen, responding to the Taiwan Power logo controversy and AI influence

Taiwan’s renowned designer Nei Yongzhen has recently become a social media discussion focus due to the Taiwan Power logo project involving a 960k bid. Some netizens even used AI to generate logos, claiming they could complete the design in seconds and mocking that it only costs 96k.

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The tech media "Digital Age" recently interviewed this Taiwanese designer, the first to be selected into the International Graphic Design Alliance (AGI), to explore the true impact of AI on the design industry amid the Taiwan Power logo incident and the emergence of AI designers, as well as parts unaffected.

Designers’ moat is taste and practical experience

Nei Yongzhen straightforwardly states that the phenomenon of AI designers triggered by the Taiwan Power logo incident is just a short-lived online trend; participants will ultimately return to their original roles, with no substantial impact on the essence of the design industry.

He mentions that he is not at all anxious about AI because the key to determining design value always comes down to "taste." In his daily work, he also frequently uses AI, mainly to generate scene images to assist communication.

He believes that technology can provide inspiration and materials, helping work to be faster and more convenient, but the final direction and integration still rely on humans. Possessing a unique visual interpretation and practical experience is the key that makes designers irreplaceable.

AI is also training the "Party A" side of the design industry

Interestingly, the proliferation of AI generation technology is quietly training the "Party A," or clients.

Taiwanese font designer Shi Bo-han once said: "AI is rapidly training clients to express their design needs more clearly." Interior design studio "Fei Yin Design" director Hong Rui-lai also shared that a few years ago, the market was generally worried that designers would face unemployment, but the current situation is that clients are starting to use AI for communication.

Hong Rui-lai states that now clients directly provide AI-generated images, greatly reducing the communication difficulties that previously required "mind-reading" of client needs. When facing projects that require decisions, clients can also use AI tools for testing, allowing designers to analyze on-site coordination intuitively.

For her, AI technology has not taken away her work as a designer; instead, it has become a "high-level translator" to facilitate communication between both parties.

Image source: Threads Interior Design Studio "Fei Yin Design" director Hong Rui-lai also shared that clients are starting to use AI for communication.

AI will not replace designers, but will replace those who cannot adapt

With 17 years of experience in user experience (UX) design, designer Jacob McDaniel does not fully agree with the AI replacement theory.

He believes that what AI will truly eliminate are those designers who cannot adapt to the new era. Currently, AI tools can proficiently handle production tasks like layout generation, so if you think your job is "purely responsible for arranging visual elements," then you are the first to be impacted.

Companies are now investing resources into design processes that involve strategic thinking because AI lacks the ability to understand organizational context and evaluate business models. Therefore, designers with systemic thinking and the ability to clarify core issues will be even more in demand in the future.

Image source: Designer Jacob McDaniel does not fully agree with the AI replacement theory

Learn to harness it, rather than fear it

Nei Yongzhen’s confident attitude toward the AI wave stems from his self-assurance in his taste and years of practical experience: "Whether AI-generated content can become a source of inspiration or how to extend it, these judgments still come from the designer’s personal life experience."

Regardless of whether there is AI technology or other innovations, designers should establish a personal visual language and continuously improve their communication and integration skills that machines cannot replicate.

After all, AI is ultimately a tool to improve efficiency. Learning to master it is more important than fearing it. Jacob McDaniel offers an effective way to use it:

"Use AI, but don’t let AI control you. Treat AI as an accelerator—let it generate initial drafts, quickly explore different layout options, or handle repetitive tasks that used to take a lot of time. Then, use the time saved on work only you can do, investing in skills that AI cannot copy, and learn to see problems more comprehensively, not just solve them."