Ideas thought through

Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French architectural designer, emphasised the role of ideas in the design process saying that nothing should be built without being "thought out" or "no action before thought". That is, rather than engaging in impulsive construction, Corbusier's philosophy tied physical form directly to rigorous planning, proportion, and underlying concepts such as his five principles of modern architecture introduced in 1926, that is, pilotis, the free floor plan, the free facade, horisontal ribbon windows, and roof gardens. But how does the notion of "thought out" manifest itself in the age of AI? Corbusier's intellectual position was guided by "unity of intent", or spirit of order which GenAI is lacking as it operates on a mathematical order. And while GenAI content may feel "thought through", and appear brilliant in places it may not necessarily do so on a critical or collective level. Moreover, as ideas are developed they might fail "real-world tests". That is, GenAI's output represents statistical probabilities and doesn't "think" or understand concepts the way humans do. However, humans set the conditions (prompt commands) to which GenAI responds. This makes GenAI a useful design tool, for example, to overcome creative blocks, expand conceptual horisons or facilitate novel solutions. Indeed, used thoughtfully and skillfully, GenAI may help designers focus on empathy and while complex make the design process more human, not less. Corbusier, who was a proponent of new technologies beyond utilitarianism, would probably agree.