AI is taking my work, claims graphic designer

7 hours ago

Jasmine LoweEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

News image — Danny Williams says less work is coming his way as businesses turn to AI to generate posters and other marketing devices

Danny Williams Danny Williams sitting at a desk with multiple screens in front of him. He has a tattoo on his arm and short hair. He is smiling at the camera. — Danny Williams says less work is coming his way as businesses turn to AI to generate posters and other marketing devices

A graphic designer has said he is losing business due to smaller firms choosing to generate their own content using artificial intelligence (AI).

Danny Williams, from East Yorkshire, said he understood why companies, in tough economic times, would choose to go down the AI path.

He added: "With smaller businesses, the funding isn't there for graphic design or big media packs."

Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association, said the industry was seeing "rapid change" through the adoption of AI, but said strict rules need to be adhered to.

Graphic designers were "in demand" 15 years ago when he started out, according to Williams, who added: "I'm getting less work now, to be honest."

Williams said AI was becoming "more and more accessible" and accepted the graphic design sector needed to "adapt", but he claimed posters generated using the latest methods were becoming repetitive.

"Most people are sick of seeing them," he said.

"Cheaper is not always best".

He added: "At the end of the day, it's the face of your business.

"I do believe it will come full circle again because people are literally sick of seeing AI and they don't trust AI."

Claire Howlett A lady with black hair and hoop earrings stood behind a bar. She's wearing a leopard print low cut top smiling at the camera. Her eyes are blue. — Claire Howlett has used AI to add festive touches to her pub for marketing purposes

Claire Howlett, landlady of The King's Head pub in Pollington, East Yorkshire, said she uses AI to make the majority of her social media content.

She said: "I've done all my advertising myself so far. Maybe in the future, if the business got bigger, I might use a graphic designer, but I'm finding the AI tools available to us are fit for purpose at the moment.

"As far as I'm concerned, you want the best option, the cheapest option and the most convenient, which is AI at the moment."

Woodford said the Advertising Association's goal was to ensure the UK advertising industry "harnesses the efficiencies of AI while maintaining the high creative standards, public trust, and ethical safeguards".

He said AI was "enormously capable", but added "there are things it cannot do".

Advertising is a heavily regulated industry, said Woodford, with distributed material needing to be "decent, honest and truthful".

"If you're putting things in the public domain on behalf of a brand or a business, you've got to be absolutely sure that they are representing that business honestly and with integrity and in compliance with the rules," he added.

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