Artificial Intelligence: Empowering Architecture and Urban Planning
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As a deeply human discipline, architecture is in a state of constant evolution, largely driven by technological innovation. The emergence and expansion of new tools have today managed to break their own speed barriers, generating more and better instruments that are quickly assimilated and implemented in many human disciplines, with architecture being no exception.
With the goal of continuing to challenge ourselves, to grow, and the relentless search for new ways to create and do our work, different strategic initiatives are defined year after year to help us push the boundaries of our activity.
This year, in line with our objectives, we have identified the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all areas as a strategic initiative. This involves integrating new AI tools designed to enhance our daily tasks.
Through our partnership with Microsoft, the integration of tools like DALL-E 2 or ChatGPT, and participation in the country's leading AI-focused events, we are continuously training ourselves to find better ways to do our work.
GP + Microsoft
The collaboration between the studio and Microsoft stems from the interest in exploring the possibilities of AI as support to integrate new functions in the design of spaces across multiple scales and programs. With the recent inauguration of its fourth international laboratory in Uruguay, we join the opportunity to start working alongside the world's leading AI professionals.
This alliance began with the exploration of integrating the tools developed by Microsoft in conjunction with OpenAI into our daily operations, for the conceptualization of initial sketches, creation of mood boards, and graphic schemes, among others.
This partnership allows us to explore new possibilities and provides a unique vision to continue building new AIs focused on architecture.
Integrating AI into Our Work
In the studio, we see AI as an opportunity of infinite value. We believe these tools have the potential to revolutionize our processes just as the launch of AutoCAD or BIM did, allowing architects to reach new levels of productivity, efficiency, and detail.
At the end of 2022, we used AI to support our end-of-year greeting, as an initial step to explore the utility of tools like DALL-E 2, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion as technologies that assist not only in design but in the very imagination of new concepts, ideas, and shapes.
Today, we are exploring various strategies and procedures that can empower us beyond the exploratory phase. An example is the exploration of “Speech2Text” tools that speed up the collection of information that emerges in each meeting, or the exploration of precise data analysis instruments to optimize workflow in space design and construction.
Envisioning Tomorrow
Various technology experts claim that the development of Artificial Intelligence will constitute a revolution even greater than the emergence of the Internet. A series of profound changes in many human activities of an unprecedented magnitude are anticipated.
We are convinced that AI can enhance our discipline like never before, leading to a new paradigm marked by the use of technology, the constant improvement of processes, and human creativity.
To delve deeper, dialogue, and reflect on all the changes that these new technologies bring today, we participated in the first Generative Artificial Intelligence Summit, last Friday, June 23, at Carrasco International Airport.
This Summit brought together various AI experts and gathered the most prominent business leaders, where the latest trends and approaches related to these tools were discussed.
Participating provided us with a valuable insight into how AI is changing various industries. The discussions and reflections from the event reinforced our conviction of the fundamental role that technology and innovation play in the future of our discipline.
The importance of promoting and reinforcing "soft skills" such as curiosity, motivation, creativity, and adaptability was highlighted, to maintain a balanced approach that synergistically combines these technologies with human intelligence.
Looking Beyond
Author and businessman Marshall Goldsmith in his book "What Got You Here Won’t Get You There" (2007), states, "What brought you here, won't take you there." This quote is a key piece to understand our philosophy and way of working through the constant improvement of our work, processes, and services.
Artificial intelligence today offers us new spaces, tools, and links to experiment, co-create, and drive the architectural discipline to new levels of productivity and efficiency.
You might also be interested in: Architecture and New Technologies: A Story of Evolution
Although we cannot predict exactly how AI will impact our discipline, today we can adopt and assimilate these new technologies with agility and enthusiasm, to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of this growing revolution.
