Walter Terruso on AI's threat to design careers and the 'outliers economy'
Walter Terruso, an Italian designer and AI consultant, cautions that the design sector is evolving into an 'outliers economy,' where success hinges on possessing a distinct viewpoint. In an interview with DesignWanted, he highlights that AI is capable of independently executing tasks such as rendering and 3D modeling, which has cut project sketching time from one week to just one day. Terruso created a catalogue of 25 products without the use of photography, all within the same budget as a conventional shoot. With two decades of experience and a teaching role at Politecnico di Milano, he invests €500 each month in AI tools, suggesting that students can begin with a lower budget. He criticizes the education system for prioritizing content over individual perspective and warns that AI efficiencies may primarily benefit large tech companies rather than design studios.
Key facts
- Walter Terruso is an Italian interior designer with 20 years of experience who consults on AI integration for architecture and design studios.
- Terruso teaches at Politecnico di Milano.
- He spends around €500 per month on AI tools: Claude, Midjourney, and Xfield.
- Claude has a paid plan at around €20 per month; Midjourney starts at around €10.
- Terruso says a project sketch that took a week can now be done in a day.
- He produced a catalogue of 25 products in 25 locations without photography or location scouting for the budget of a single traditional shoot.
- Terruso warns that junior tasks like rendering, technical drawing, and 3D modeling are being automated first.
- He cites Luciano Floridi's point that people are becoming data for companies.
- Terruso argues the current education system is unfit because it focuses on content delivery that AI can handle.
- He says the only thing AI cannot generate is a personal point of view.
Entities
Artists
- Walter Terruso
- Luciano Floridi
Institutions
- Politecnico di Milano
- DesignWanted
- NABA Milan
- Compasso d'Oro Award
Locations
- Milan
- Italy