Exploring Design Practice with Generative AI: Perspectives from AEC Design Professionals

The integration of Generative AI (GenAI) into Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) design marks a paradigm shift, yet empirical studies on AEC professional adoption are scarce. This study aims to bridge this gap through a mixed-methods study involving interviews with 20 professionals and a survey of 191 professionals. Findings show GenAI is mainly used in conceptual design, improving client and intra-team collaboration, especially in concept-only projects, strong site integration projects, and challenging client engagements projects for inspiration exploration, client communication and design service boundaries expansion. We further uncover a critical paradox: professionals perceive GenAI’s creativity as intrinsically linked to the unpredictability. Additionally, a nuanced “shame-yet-pride” dynamic is identified, wherein professionals publicly regard GenAI as a key asset but conceal its use to exaggerate manual effort. Based on these insights, we recommend fostering an industry-wide discussion for a mindset shift toward transparent collaboration with GenAI. This study offers the first comprehensive empirical study for understanding GenAI’s current role and future potential in transforming AEC design practices.