Is AI replacing UX designers? (The reality no one talks about) | EP 16 | Bruno Figueiredo
Is AI replacing UX designers or redefining their role?
Discover how AI is reshaping UX design, research and creativity in this conversation with UXLx founder Bruno Figueiredo.
In this episode of Human x Intelligent, Madalena Costa sits down with Bruno Figueiredo, designer and founder of UXLx and one of Europe’s most experienced voices in UX, to explore one of the biggest questions in design today: Is AI the biggest shift UX has ever faced?
From early web design to today’s AI powered tools, Bruno shares a long-term perspective on how technology reshapes design practice and what feels genuinely different about this moment.
If you're a product designer, UX researcher, founder or someone entering the field, this conversation will help you understand what skills matter next and how to stay relevant in an AI-driven world.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why AI may be the biggest shift UX has ever experienced
Why is code easier for AI than creative design
The limits of AI in UX research and synthetic users
The risks of relying on automated insights without real validation
Why accessibility still depends on strong design foundations
The problem with AI transparency and training data
How AI is reshaping UX roles (specialists vs generalists)
Why AI should be treated as a collaborator
What junior designers should focus on to stay relevant
How to work with AI as a creative partner
Why this matters
As AI accelerates execution, the value of designers shifts toward:
judgment
direction
taste
problem framing
human understanding
The future of UX is:
human AI collaboration
guided creativity
responsible research
transparent systems
meaningful user understanding
Key ideas explored:
AI as acceleration - AI speeds up execution but still depends on human direction and intent
Code vs creativity
Synthetic research risks - Fast insights don’t always mean valid insights
Accessibility gap - AI can assist, but foundations still matter
Transparency problem - Designers often don’t know what AI systems are trained on
The shift in roles - Designers may become more generalists as AI removes tedious work
AI as a co worker - Think of AI as an intern or collaborator
Chapters
00:00 Is AI redesigning UX overnight?
00:22 Is this the biggest shift UX has faced?
01:18 Lessons from past technological shifts
02:00 Why AI generated code is advancing so fast
02:32 Why code is easier for AI than design
03:39 The complexity of creative design
04:21 AI in UX research and synthetic users
06:57 Risks of relying on automated research
08:09 The role of UX researchers today
10:02 Communicating research to leadership
10:55 AI and accessibility in design
13:42 The impact of regulation on accessibility
15:29 Accessibility as a business opportunity
16:18 The transparency problem in AI
17:29 Knowledge AI cannot access
18:42 How AI may reshape UX roles
20:19 AI removing tedious design work
21:23 AI as a collaborator in workflows
22:34 The future - automation vs augmentation
23:17 AI as a junior teammate
24:24 Advice for designers entering the field
25:15 How to stay relevant with AI
Links
Website: humanxintelligent.com
Join the conversation: https://forms.gle/qdnd3pMnr6KBDCA1A
LinkedIn: @madalenafigueirasdacosta
Instagram: @designwithmaddie
//Human x Intelligent explores how humans and AI design, build and collaborate in intelligent systems//
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