Another fantastic UX Brighton. Naturally, this year’s theme revolved around AI – and rightly so. It’s impossible to ignore how deeply it is shaping our field, prompting a shift in our roles and requiring a blend of strategic thinking, and personal agency. Here’s what stuck with me: Avinash Mair argued that UX and economics are two sides of the same coin. We must analyse how the broader economic system shapes our design choices if we want to create genuine impact. Sharon Webster drew on the Arts and Crafts movement to stress ethical design. The key takeaway: maintain “truth to materials” by being transparent about AI’s role in our process. A powerful reminder that we should reject being deceived by cheap, mass-produced artifacts, whether they are physical goods or AI outputs. Oleksii Tkachenko reminded us that designers must use AI strategically to gain influence and act as the user’s advocate against questionable decisions and uses. He clearly defined the choice: we can either shrink into a purely executional role or use AI to negotiate a larger strategic scope for ourselves. I realised my primary role is now to protect the user from the tech, not just passively build the product. James Lang urged us to reject doom and choose agency. It’s true, our foundational human skills are in high demand, so we should start actively creating the future we want, incrementally. The first step is always to simply start by starting. Finally, Zachary Rattner reminded us that no one truly has AI figured out. He argued that this ambiguity is our biggest advantage because it frees us from perfectionism. We should embrace this uncertainty and design for what’s barely possible, while being unburdened by the tedious work AI can automate. We should use it for unconventional things and keep experimenting to push the boundaries. I’ll be honest, I’ve always been apprehensive about embracing AI, worried that it would dull our craft and threaten our value as designers. But hearing all these talks, I’m certain more than ever that our role as human designers is not only secure but essential. We should engage with AI, experiment boldly and let our human judgement be the ultimate differentiator. A huge thank you to all the brilliant speakers for sharing such thoughtful insights. It was great to spend the day with Sakari Oravisto reflecting and learning – and an extra thanks to UX Brighton and Danny Hope for putting on yet another inspiring and thought-provoking event. #uxbrighton #uxdesignRama Bown