“Beyond AI”: Creativity Between Craftsmanship and Automation

25.06.2026, Transfer:

Does artificial intelligence spell the end of creativity or its renaissance? The HNU Design Talk, held on June 11, 2026, at the Innovation Space of Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU), addressed this question. The guest speaker was Jens Franke, co-founder and managing director of nion digital GmbH, who, under the title “Beyond AI,” discussed with the audience how AI is transforming the field of design and what this means for craftsmanship, creativity, and excellence.

The HNU Design Talks are a series of events held at the HNU Innovation Space. In a relaxed atmosphere, experts from the business and academic worlds delve into key questions surrounding design, innovation, and user experience, inviting their audience to join them on a journey of discovery. The fifteenth talk in the series drew 50 participants.

Prof. Patricia Franzreb and Prof. Danny Franzreb hosted the evening.

Design in the Context of AI

In his presentation, Jens Franke used concrete examples to illustrate the new opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence presents for the field of design—from user experience and product design to the design of digital applications. He has been working at the intersection of strategy, design, and technology for 25 years. Accordingly, he assessed the potential inherent in current developments and the challenges they pose for designers. The focus was on the tension between craftsmanship, creativity, excellence, and automation.

His view of AI is clearly positive, but nuanced. Especially at the start of a project—whether it involves analog product design or an app—AI helps to quickly visualize ideas and speed up the design process. He illustrated just how far a good idea can take you using the example of the Pitch Coach app developed by Anton Baranov, who is only 22 years old. At the same time, he pointed out the real danger: that we’ll leave the task of thinking ahead to AI.

Renaissance, Not the End: Creativity Remains Human

If everyone uses the same tools, what makes the difference? This question, raised by Jens Franke, led straight to the heart of his core ideas. For him, the answer lies not in technology, but in people. He drew a parallel to the Renaissance and viewed today’s period of upheaval as an opportunity: not the end of creativity, but its rebirth. What remains crucial, he said, is interdisciplinary and human exchange—the critical perspective offered by and shared with others. Or, as one of his slides put it: “Creativity lives out there, in exchange with other humans.” That, Franke explained, is something no AI can replace.

Afterward, the guests engaged in a lively discussion. A tension—one that Franke himself had highlighted—ran throughout the discussion: creativity as a service for finding solutions, and creativity as an expression of one’s own ideas and perspective on the world. It was precisely this tension that provided ample material for discussion.