My Role: For this project, I initiated the conversation with Starck after he contacted Autodesk PR having read an article on the work we were doing in AI in "Le Monde" a french newspaper. I negotiated the terms of the collaborative research, and as the director and executive sponsor, led the project to a successful conclusion. My team in industry futures consisted of a talented group of researchers, designers and engineers who defined the research problem. developed new science and a new experience and executed on the novel technology. Designers at Starck were able to test the prototype to help validate the utility and overall productivity gain in their day-to-day workflows.
Over the past few years, Autodesk has worked with technical experts on generative design projects, but A.I. is unique to those conceptual proposals. None of Autodesk’s previous generative projects–like creating a space lander for NASA, car parts for GM, and a proof-of-concept super-light airplane cabin seat–have made it to market. Instead, they act as experiments to show off the company’s technology and help it design for more futuristic scenarios, unlike A.I., which is being produced within just a few months. To read why Fast Company called this "the first commercial chair made with artificial intelligence", click the image above.
If you would like to own the AI Chair, you can order from Kartell here!
The A.I. series is the fruit of the collaboration between artificial intelligence and human intelligence, termed by Starck as "Natural Intelligence". It is artificial intelligence’s response to input received from creator Philippe Starck and the company Kartell.
Specifically, in the conception of the A.I. chair, creative thinking and artificial intelligence have merged, developing a new language, a new type of exchange. Artificial intelligence found the solution to the original design brief.
Revealed during the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2019, the A.I. chair for Kartell by Philippe Starck and powered by Autodesk is now available in Kartell stores worldwide.
Generative Design is a technology that allows designers and engineers to input their design goals, along with parameters such as materials, manufacturing methods, and cost constraints. A evolutionary algorithm then explores all the possible permutations of a valid solution, quickly generating design alternatives, sometimes referred to as "optioneering". It tests and learns from each iteration what works and what doesn't.
"In getting to know each other, Starck was teaching the system about his design intent. As the relationship between the two matured, the system became a much stronger collaborative partner, and began to anticipate Starck's preferences and the way he likes to work."
Mark Davis | Senior Director, Autodesk
The software prototype used by Starck includes capabilities that are still being incubated by the Autodesk Research team, such as cutting-edge A.I.-assisted design techniques. This project was also the first time that injection molding was designated as a manufacturing constraint in Autodesk generative design technology.
Also for the first time, Kartell is using a 100% recycled material in the production of the A.I. chair. Adopting a virtuous process that respects and protects the environment by reusing clean industrial scraps and transforming them to create raw material in order to guarantee the aesthetic quality and structural requirements of the product and reduce the emissions necessary for its production.
“When Philippe came to me with his idea and the results of his work in collaboration with Autodesk, I immediately accepted the challenge of starting an industrial production of the project.”
Claudio Luti | CEO, Kartell
The A.I. project and collaboration between Starck, Kartell and Autodesk is at the pinnacle of the industrial design world, resulting in one of the most creative outcomes ever achieved with generative design.
Revealed during the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2019, the A.I. chair for Kartell by Philippe Starck and powered by Autodesk is now available in Kartell stores worldwide.
