Monmouthshire’s graphic designers have expressed concern for the industry as artificial intelligence is increasingly used by local businesses writes Charles Dennis.

Some admit using it in their work, while others worry it is to blame for fewer clients this year.

Designer David Evans, owner of Platform One, has worked in the industry for decades. He is particularly worried about the nature of AI content generation and the future of design.

“AI generally can only work by plagiarism,” he said. “It’s theft effectively, because it’s utilising work that belongs to other people.”

Evans specialises in heritage interpretation, which he believes makes him somewhat immune to the threat of AI. He has longstanding contracts with both Haberdashers’ Schools and Monmouthshire County Council.

AI-generated adverts and logos have become more common on community pages because they are inexpensive to produce. But local designers argue their quality is poor compared to commissioned work.

Karl Lewis, also known as Cascade Design, showed AI-generated designs next to his own to demonstrate the difference in quality. He noticed how it could mimic his style, which he found “clever but creepy”. He believes his work has more depth, such as his logo for Rossiter Books on Church Street.

Ben Quirk, owner of HereForDesign, has implemented AI throughout his process and sees it as more of a tool than a threat. He uses it selectively to speed up his workflow.

His work is recognisable as the Little India Monmouth logo of the Gatehouse turned elephant.

“I’m letting the machines do all but the hard lift. I have my experience and my expertise,” he said.

Quirk believes the conversation around AI is more nuanced than people think, but he admitted that a downturn in clients could be due to businesses turning to AI options.