S1.Ep 6 - Design Meets AI: Balancing Innovation with Human-Centered Values
Tue Oct 14 2025
How does AI impact the world of design education, where human-centered and even planetary-conscious approaches have long been the foundation?
In the sixth and last episode of Legally Wired’s first podcast season, Professor Alexandra Andhov speaks with Nan O’Sullivan, former Head of the School of Design Innovation at the University of Victoria, about how design thinking and creative education are grappling with the integration of AI.
The discussion covers substantial questions that arise when technology meets creativity. Together, we reflect on the mixed emotional mindsets surrounding AI implementation - excitement, hesitation, and fear - and consider the challenges educators and students face as they navigate expectations, skills, and responsibilities. The conversation explores how design has always evolved alongside technology, how ethical reflection must remain central, and whether AI can truly enhance human-centred design rather than diminish it. At its heart, this dialogue is about agency, critical thinking, and the role of lived experience in shaping creative practice.
This episode invites you to explore how design, education, and AI might intersect - and what possibilities could unfold for the future.
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How does AI impact the world of design education, where human-centered and even planetary-conscious approaches have long been the foundation? In the sixth and last episode of Legally Wired’s first podcast season, Professor Alexandra Andhov speaks with Nan O’Sullivan, former Head of the School of Design Innovation at the University of Victoria, about how design thinking and creative education are grappling with the integration of AI. The discussion covers substantial questions that arise when technology meets creativity. Together, we reflect on the mixed emotional mindsets surrounding AI implementation - excitement, hesitation, and fear - and consider the challenges educators and students face as they navigate expectations, skills, and responsibilities. The conversation explores how design has always evolved alongside technology, how ethical reflection must remain central, and whether AI can truly enhance human-centred design rather than diminish it. At its heart, this dialogue is about agency, critical thinking, and the role of lived experience in shaping creative practice. This episode invites you to explore how design, education, and AI might intersect - and what possibilities could unfold for the future.