Mercedes Design Chief Foresees AI Dominating Car Design
Mercedes-Benz’s Chief Design Officer, Gorden Wagener, has stated his belief that artificial intelligence will likely replace human designers in the automotive industry within the next decade. Speaking at an event for the Mercedes-Benz Places development in Miami, Wagener suggested that AI’s role in design is rapidly expanding.
Mercedes-Benz is already utilizing AI tools in its design workflows, though Wagener acknowledged that the output currently remains a mixed bag. “You get 99% of crap with AI and sheer quantity,” he observed, “That’s the biggest problem—sorting out the good stuff from the bad.” He also noted that the technology is consistently improving. “But you get 1% good stuff, and we keep learning. It’s getting better every day,” he stated.
Wagener sees a future where AI could potentially replace human designers, suggesting this may affect the industry landscape, particularly given that the shift toward electric vehicles could make the visual identities of cars more similar. He noted that his eventual successor may be a machine that costs less than his salary and doesn’t require time off.
While the role of AI is set to grow in design, Wagener dismissed the immediate prospect of eliminating traditional driving controls like steering wheels and gear shifters. “We will always have a steering wheel… at least in the foreseeable future,” he confirmed. Wagener views the vehicle interior of the future as a multifaceted living space, rather than a simple mobile device. “The car of the future is not a smartphone on wheels; it’s going to be a ‘smart home’ on wheels,” he concluded.
