PANEL DISCUSSION: How we use AI in day-to-day practice

The panel discussion revolved around sharing practical, real-world examples of how AI tools are used in everyday architectural work, especially in contexts where teams operate across international boundaries and touch aspects like concept generation, code, and design theory/research and ethics.

We noted AI as a more openly adopted tool for design and documentation support, such as quick concept sketches based either on prompts or hand sketches as a starting point. The speed provided by AI is unmatched, though it may come at the expense of the direct human interaction that clients need.

A second hot topic was cross-jurisdiction workflows, where AI helps translate codes, standards, or design intentions across different locations. We noted the occasional “hallucinations” of AI models and the need for humans to have a strong knowledge base to detect errors. I personally use several models to cross-check the data.

Finally, the issue of ethics and responsible use was raised, emphasizing how lightweight, practical AI applications can be adopted immediately in practice while mitigating ethical or professional risks—in other words, through full disclosure.

Overall, the session was oriented toward practical, actionable uses of AI in everyday architectural practice, illustrated through short “micro-stories” from practitioners rather than heavy theory, giving attendees approaches they could adopt in their own international workflows the next day.

-dh