Will AI replace architects? These UTS Architecture grads say no.

AI’s impact on architecture 

It’s a change that many architects are cautiously embracing, including UTS Architecture alumni and founders of architectural design firm Stanton Architects, Laura and Wally Stanton. Both graduates of the Bachelor of Design in Architecture and the Master of Architecture at UTS, they see the growth of AI as both an opportunity and a challenge.

“Like any new tool, it will require the profession to adapt, but we believe AI should be embraced as a way to improve efficiency and unlock new possibilities,” Laura says.

She and Wally are far from alone: according to the findings of a recent American Institute of Architects survey, many architects are already deploying AI tools in ‘low-invasive’ use cases, using them to streamline repetitive actions like notetaking, recording meeting minutes, and writing proposals and other routine communications.

They’re also embracing architecture-specific AI tools, such as image and video generation, early design stage visualisation and specification writing technologies, even while grappling with ethical, professional and legal implications that are yet to be resolved.

And the numbers show clear growth: a survey from the Royal Institute of British Architects found an increase in respondents using AI in their practices compared to the previous year.

Preparing students for an AI future at UTS School of Architecture

With this growth comes changing professional expectations: according to the Australian Institute of Architects, ‘the ability to implement and work with AI is becoming a top-ranking skill for architects alongside digital design and project management skills.’  

Preparing next-generation architects for an AI-integrated future is therefore a key consideration for UTS Architecture degrees. The University’s undergraduate and postgraduate courses are known for integrating established and emerging technologies into students’ architectural practice; in the last few years, AI has become a more prevalent feature for those who study architecture at UTS.

Dedicated subjects on the use of AI in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries are coming online, and students benefit from guest lecturers and access to a world-class teaching team whose AI thought leadership is shaping the national conversation. Generative AI tools are also being integrated into many aspects of research and teaching, preparing students to both embrace new technologies and critique their outputs.

However, while AI fluency will be important in the future, the technology cannot be considered a substitute for human creativity, or for the fundamental skills and judgement required to operate effectively as an architect. That’s according to Dr Nimish Biloria, Course Director of the Bachelor of Design in Architecture, who says the degree still takes a human-first approach to the process of design. 

“AI is a tool architects will need to use well, but doing so depends entirely on judgment that must be developed first, not assumed,” he says. 

“Students learn to prompt, generate, and critique AI outputs, but only alongside, never instead of, learning to defend a decision on its merits. The degree isn’t teaching [students] to compete with AI. It's teaching them to be the ones in the room who can explain why the building looks the way it does, whether AI helped get it there or not.”

AI cannot do the job of human architects 

There’s no doubt that AI technologies will continue reshaping architecture at a rapid pace, offering increasingly utility in a profession where the design of buildings is becoming more and more complex.

But now for the big question: will AI eventually replace human architects? According to Laura and Wally Stanton, the answer is no. That’s because architecture is a relational profession; for all its technological prowess, AI cannot understand the experience of interacting with physical spaces or the human relationships upon which architecture is built.

“AI has the potential to streamline may repetitive and time-consuming aspects of practice, allowing architects to focus more on creativity, problem-solving and meaningful client relationships,” Wally says.

“Ultimately, architecture is built around human connections—understanding our clients, their stories and their needs. That relationship will always remain at the heart of great design.”