Be Careful Using Figma's New Features...

Theo Rants
4 Jul 202413:37

TLDRFigma's AI design feature, which generated UI layouts from text prompts, faced controversy for apparently replicating Apple's weather app design. The issue was discovered by Andy Allen, founder of Not Boring Software. After three attempts, the AI consistently produced designs strikingly similar to Apple's UI, raising concerns about the training data used. Figma's CEO, Dylan Field, acknowledged the problem, temporarily disabling the feature for a thorough quality assurance review. The incident sparked a debate on AI's impact on design jobs and the importance of originality in design.

Takeaways

  • 😮 Figma's AI design feature was temporarily disabled after accusations of ripping off the Apple Weather app design.
  • 🤔 The issue was first spotted by Andy Allen, the founder of Not Boring Software, who showcased the questionable output of Figma's AI.
  • 🔍 Figma CEO Dylan Field stated that the AI feature was not trained on Figma content, community files, or app designs, refuting the accusations.
  • 🛠️ The AI feature was intended to help developers quickly get their ideas down and explore different design directions.
  • 👀 The controversy arose when Figma's AI generated designs that were strikingly similar to Apple's Weather app upon multiple attempts.
  • 💡 The problem seems to be related to the specific data set and AI implementation used by Figma, not a general issue with AI design tools.
  • 👨‍💻 Dylan Field acknowledged the issue and took responsibility, promising a better QA process before re-enabling the feature.
  • 🎨 There is a debate on whether AI tools like Figma's Make Design will eliminate jobs or simply streamline repetitive design work.
  • 🚫 Designers are advised to thoroughly check existing apps or heavily modify AI-generated designs to avoid potential legal issues.
  • 🤖 The AI's training data is a concern, as it may include designs that are derivative of existing work, even if indirectly.
  • 🔑 The key takeaway is the importance of transparency and careful handling of AI training data to ensure originality and avoid legal risks in design.

Q & A

  • What was the issue with Figma's AI design feature?

    -Figma's AI design feature, known as 'Make Design', was temporarily disabled because it appeared to be ripping off the design of Apple's weather app, as showcased by Andy Allen, the founder of Not Boring Software.

  • Who was the first to spot the problem with Figma's AI feature?

    -Andy Allen, the founder of Not Boring Software, was the first to spot and showcase the problem with Figma's AI design feature.

  • What was Figma's response to the issue?

    -Figma's CEO, Dylan Field, acknowledged the issue and stated that the company would temporarily disable the 'Make Design' AI feature until they could ensure the quality of its output. He also took responsibility for not insisting on a better QA process.

  • What is Not Boring Software known for?

    -Not Boring Software is known for creating suites of apps that include popular utilities like the skinable weather app, designed by Andy Allen.

  • How did Figma's AI feature generate designs that were too similar to existing apps?

    -The AI feature generated designs that were too similar to existing apps because it was potentially trained on a limited dataset, which included commissioned designs that might have been derivative of other work.

  • What did Figma's CEO say about the training data of the AI feature?

    -Dylan Field stated that the 'Make Design' feature was not trained on Figma content, community files, or app designs, contradicting the accusations made on social media.

  • What is the potential risk for designers using AI-generated designs?

    -Designers using AI-generated designs may unknowingly land themselves in legal trouble if the AI has been trained on copyrighted or derivative work, as the final output could infringe on existing designs.

  • What is the importance of having a diverse dataset for AI training?

    -A diverse dataset is important for AI training to ensure a wide variety of outputs and to avoid generating designs that are too similar to existing work, thus reducing the risk of copyright infringement.

  • How did the video transcript highlight the limitations of AI in design?

    -The video transcript highlighted the limitations of AI in design by showing how Figma's AI feature produced designs that were too similar to Apple's weather app, indicating a lack of creativity and originality due to a limited training dataset.

  • What is the potential impact of AI on the design industry?

    -The potential impact of AI on the design industry includes the acceleration of the design process by eliminating repetitive work, allowing designers to explore more creative ideas. However, it also poses risks such as the potential for copyright infringement and the need for new tools to ensure unique and original designs.

  • What steps did Figma take to address the issue with their AI feature?

    -Figma took steps to address the issue by temporarily disabling the 'Make Design' feature, conducting a full QA pass on the underlying design system, and planning to re-enable the feature only when they are confident in its output.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Figma AI's Controversial Design Debacle

The video script discusses the controversy surrounding Figma's AI design feature, which was temporarily disabled after accusations of copying Apple's weather app design. The issue was first highlighted by Andy Allen, founder of Not Boring Software, who demonstrated how Figma's AI generated designs strikingly similar to Apple's app. Despite Figma CEO Dylan Field's statement that the AI was not trained on community files or app designs, the incident raised concerns about the AI's training data and its potential to replicate existing designs. The video also contrasts the situation with Not Boring's own unique and creative apps, emphasizing the importance of originality in design.

05:01

🛠️ Addressing AI Design Tool Concerns and Future Implications

This paragraph delves into the implications of AI design tools like Figma's 'Make Design' feature, which was criticized for potentially eliminating jobs and promoting repetitive design work. Figma's CEO, Dylan Field, responded to the controversy by clarifying that the AI feature uses commissioned design systems and large language models, not community files. The video suggests that the lack of diversity in training data may lead to the AI producing similar results, and raises the question of whether the commissioned designs themselves could be derivative. The script also touches on the broader debate about AI's role in the design industry and the need for transparency and ethical considerations in AI training data.

10:02

🚨 Legal and Ethical Risks of AI-Generated Designs

The final paragraph of the script addresses the legal and ethical risks associated with AI-generated designs. It uses the metaphor of training an AI with copyrighted material to illustrate how using AI to create designs based on existing copyrighted works can lead to legal issues. The video emphasizes the unknowns of AI's 'black box' nature, where the data and processes used to generate designs are not transparent to the user. This lack of transparency poses a risk when exporting AI-generated designs, as they may inadvertently infringe on existing designs. The script concludes by urging designers to be cautious and to thoroughly check or modify AI-generated designs to avoid legal trouble.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Figma

Figma is a cloud-based interface design and digital product design collaboration tool. It allows designers to collaborate in real-time and is widely used for creating user interfaces, prototypes, and more. In the video, Figma is central to the discussion as the company that released an AI feature which was subsequently criticized for copying the design of Apple's weather app.

💡AI Design Features

AI Design Features refer to the capabilities of artificial intelligence to create or suggest designs automatically. In the context of the video, Figma's AI design feature, known as 'Make Design,' was accused of generating designs that were strikingly similar to Apple's weather app, leading to its temporary disabling by Figma.

💡Ripping Off

The term 'ripping off' is used to describe the act of copying or imitating something, often with the intent to deceive or without giving proper credit. In the video, it is suggested that Figma's AI feature was 'ripping off' the design of Apple's weather app, indicating a lack of originality and potential legal issues.

💡Andy Allen

Andy Allen is the founder of Not Boring Software, which is mentioned in the video as the creator of apps like the skinable weather app. He is credited with discovering the issue with Figma's AI feature, as he showcased how it generated designs that closely resembled Apple's weather app.

💡UI Layouts and Components

UI stands for 'User Interface,' which is the space where interactions between humans and digital devices occur. Layouts and components are parts of the UI that make up the visual elements and structure of an application. In the video, Figma's AI feature was designed to generate UI layouts and components from text prompts, aiming to accelerate the design process.

💡Legal Trouble

Legal trouble refers to the potential for lawsuits or legal disputes that may arise from certain actions. In the context of the video, there is a warning for designers to be cautious when using AI-generated designs to avoid inadvertently infringing on copyrights or trademarks, which could lead to legal trouble.

💡Design Systems

A Design System is a set of reusable design elements, such as colors, fonts, and components, that ensure consistency across different parts of a product. In the video, it is mentioned that Figma's AI feature uses Design Systems that were commissioned, which became a point of concern when the AI was generating designs too similar to existing apps.

💡QA Process

QA stands for 'Quality Assurance,' which is the process of checking and making sure that a product or service meets certain standards before it is released. In the video, Figma's CEO acknowledges the lack of a robust QA process for the AI feature, which led to the discovery of its shortcomings after public release.

💡Unique Designs

Unique designs are those that stand out for their originality and are not derivative of other works. The video emphasizes the importance of creating unique designs in the competitive landscape of digital products. The issue with Figma's AI feature was that it was not generating unique designs but rather copies of existing ones.

💡Black Box

A 'black box' in the context of AI refers to a system or process where the inner workings are not transparent or observable to the user. In the video, the term is used to describe the AI's training process, which is not visible to the public, raising concerns about the potential for unknowingly using copyrighted material in the AI's output.

Highlights

Figma's newly announced AI feature, which automatically designs, has been temporarily disabled due to controversy.

The AI design feature was criticized for appearing to rip off the Apple Weather app's design.

Andy Allen, founder of Not Boring Software, exposed the issue by testing Figma's AI with his brand's name.

Figma CEO Dylan Field acknowledged the problem and announced the feature's temporary disablement for review.

The AI's output was identical in multiple tests, suggesting it was trained on Apple's UI.

Comparisons were made to Not Boring's unique weather app, which has a distinct design from Apple's.

Figma's Make Design feature generates UI layouts and components from text prompts.

The feature was intended to help developers explore design directions and arrive at solutions faster.

Dylan Field clarified that the AI was not trained on Figma community files or app designs.

The AI uses off-the-shelf language models combined with commissioned Design Systems.

The issue lies in the variability of the AI's output, which is too low due to limited training data.

A comparison to other AI tools suggests that a wider variety of training data leads to more diverse results.

The risk of AI-generated designs inadvertently copying existing apps was discussed.

Figma's response to the issue was praised for its transparency and commitment to improvement.

The debate over AI tools' impact on the job market in design was touched upon.

Designers are advised to check existing apps or modify AI results to avoid legal issues.

The potential legal risks of using AI in design, especially when the training data is not fully disclosed, were highlighted.

The conversation calls for a deeper understanding of AI's role and responsibility in the design process.