Ioana Teleanu on AI as Creative Material and Intentional Friction

In a new interview for designboom's 'Navigators of Design' series with Most Studios, designer and AI-R studio founder Ioana Teleanu argues that AI should be treated as a living, unpredictable creative material rather than mere software. She advocates for 'intentional friction' in design to preserve human agency, warning against 'cognitive capitulation' where users outsource judgment to algorithms. Teleanu criticizes AI-generated design for lacking tension, quirks, and cultural perspective, producing what she calls 'mediocrity in a nice outfit.' Her work on UiPath's Clipboard AI, recognized as one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2023, exemplifies extending human habits rather than replacing them. She emphasizes that designers now define behavior spaces and protocols rather than fixed artifacts. The interview is part of a 10-part series produced with Most Studios.