Concerns about new technological tools as a potential threat to replacing professionals are not new. Investment in these tools is largely aimed at
reducing production time without compromising quality , which unfortunately implies a
risk to the workforce . Although the aim is not to completely replace professionals, the reduction in demand for more workers is an inevitable consequence. In the field of civil construction, the same thing has already happened before with the emergence of software with CAD and BIM
modeling systems . However, unlike these, which are used as tools to assist in project production, the concern now revolves around new technologies that cooperate, that is, that
perform tasks equivalent to human labor .
Interest in these technologies has grown exponentially, with several
software programs and
plugins promising
to facilitate the development of architectural and urban projects . Well-known services already adopted by architects and designers, such as DALL-E and MIDJOURNEY, use
prompts (descriptive texts) to create images from a
pre-existing database , functioning as an auxiliary tool. The promises and, consequently, the challenges of Artificial Intelligence have captured the attention of this sector in recent months,
showing that the revolution is already underway . In Brazil, authors such as
Pedro Fiori Arantes , a professor at UNIFESP and founding architect of the USINA group, address architecture in the digital age. In his book "Architecture in the Digital-Financial Age", he reflects on technological advances, highlighting how they tend to save time and labor in production. He notes: "The increase in fixed capital (machines and software) corresponds, simultaneously, to a reduction in variable capital (workforce). Saving time means, from the point of view of capital,
a reduction in the number of workers , at the same time as
changes occur in their specific skills ."
Thinking about transforming the traditional approach to design, the Chinese company XKool has created an AI capable of
creating complete projects in a matter of minutes . In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, founder and architect Wanyu He uses as an example a hotel with 500 rooms that was designed and completed in just four and a half months. The pioneering software aims to provide an
all-in-one platform , using AI from generating master plan
layouts to transforming 2D images into 3D models and creating floor plans from room measurements. This approach demonstrates the intention to
revolutionize the architectural design process .
She highlights that the main challenge for architects in relation to AI is developing a sufficient understanding of the technology to shape how it impacts the profession. In an interview with Dezeen, she says: "
Rejecting technology will not make it disappear . Only by embracing it can you become involved in controlling it. We as humans need to understand what our key competitiveness is. Technology will free us from repetition and allow us to focus on things that add value to society." There are hundreds of AI options on the market that promise significant improvements to architecture in several aspects, and it is important for professionals in the field to remain aware of possible changes in the production method and the consequent social problems they may bring.
