Enframing Creativity: Speculations on Design Education's Transformations in the age of Generative AI
Abstract
The rapid advancement of AI technologies necessitates a shift from reactive adoption to speculative inquiry into long-term consequences for educational systems. Grounded in Martin Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology," this research examines the epistemology of AI in design education. Methodologically, it employs speculative futurology, integrating speculative design, critical design, and scenario planning to explore possible futures, culminating in a philosophical mapping framework based on Heidegger's critical stance. The findings reveal a critical temporal mismatch between rapid AI capability growth and slower educational adaptation, creating urgency for human-centered frameworks. The research concludes that design education's future depends on consciously cultivating Critical AI Literacy while preserving uniquely human capabilities e.g. intuition, judgment, and creative reasoning. This approach ensures AI serves as a medium for "world discovery" rather than merely a tool for efficiency, positioning educators to shape technology's role intentionally rather than adapt to it reactively.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence, Design Education, Critical Design, Speculative Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2305
Citation
Sharifi, A., Hohl, M., and Skatar, F. (2026) Enframing Creativity: Speculations on Design Education's Transformations in the age of Generative AI, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2305
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Enframing Creativity: Speculations on Design Education's Transformations in the age of Generative AI
The rapid advancement of AI technologies necessitates a shift from reactive adoption to speculative inquiry into long-term consequences for educational systems. Grounded in Martin Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology," this research examines the epistemology of AI in design education. Methodologically, it employs speculative futurology, integrating speculative design, critical design, and scenario planning to explore possible futures, culminating in a philosophical mapping framework based on Heidegger's critical stance. The findings reveal a critical temporal mismatch between rapid AI capability growth and slower educational adaptation, creating urgency for human-centered frameworks. The research concludes that design education's future depends on consciously cultivating Critical AI Literacy while preserving uniquely human capabilities e.g. intuition, judgment, and creative reasoning. This approach ensures AI serves as a medium for "world discovery" rather than merely a tool for efficiency, positioning educators to shape technology's role intentionally rather than adapt to it reactively.