Reframing the architect’s role in AI and digital design tools: Case studies, field study, and ethical reflections

This study investigates how AI-assisted and digital/parametric tools transform architectural design processes and the architect’s evolving professional role. Despite rapid technological advancement, the integration of these tools within everyday workflows remains ethically and practically complex. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research combines a comparative analysis of three pioneering case studies (Autodesk Toronto Office, The Edge in Amsterdam, and Google Bay View Campus), with a field study involving 30 practicing architects. The results demonstrate that AI-assisted systems, including generative design, optimization, and machine learning, significantly support early-stage ideation and workflow efficiency, while digital/parametric tools remain indispensable for performance-driven analysis and technical control. The findings reveal a repositioning of professional agency, with architects increasingly acting as strategic mediators rather than sole creators, and identify persistent challenges related to authorship, accountability, and ethical responsibility in AI-driven design workflows. Overall, the study underscores the necessity of a complementary integration of AI-assisted and digital/parametric tools to support responsible architectural practice.