It’s a bold but predictable statement, with Mercedes-Benz’s chief design officer Gorden Wagener voicing his displeasure over the constant wave of artificial intelligence-generated cars over the internet to Jalopnik.
A Mercedes-Benz employee for almost 30 years, Wagener was the man behind the AMG One, the SLR McLaren (with Gordon Murray), and the controversial R-Class, and currently leads the brand’s design strategy.
While the executive admits he and his team have been using AI tools, he said “it doesn’t create good results,” and that its limitations place it largely only as a tool to create backgrounds.
“It creates 99 per cent of shit solutions that are really ugly or weird or are not brand specific, and yeah, 1 per cent interesting stuff.”
According to Wagener, the “real problem” with AI car designs is the lack of “spectacular aspect” in the online concepts, with features being “over-exaggerated” by the programs.
The brand’s head designer also told Jalopnik it’s now harder to create eye-catching cars for motor shows when those over-exaggerated traits in AI vehicles show elements which aren’t possible.
“I go through Insta[gram], and it’s just… another one. You get bored, you know? You just see it.
“This AI stuff is getting really annoying.”
Earlier this year, Wagener told US outlet ABC News that AI could threaten to “make designers obsolete” within the next decade.
“That’s the biggest problem – sorting out the good stuff from the bad. But you get one per cent good stuff and we keep learning. It’s getting better every day.
“AI will drastically change the way we design. I think in 10 years maybe most of design will be done by AI and it will make designers obsolete.
“My successor will be a machine and will be much cheaper than my salary.”
Other brands such as Nissan have admitted to using AI as a tool for car design, with the grille of the new Qashqai beginning as a generated piece before human designers finish it off.
NOTE: The featured image in this article was generated by Google Gemini, and is not representative of any future Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
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