The Creative Edges of AI

AI can analyze, remix, and replicate — but can it help us create something genuinely new? That question now sits at the center of modern design. IDEO CEO Mike Peng argues that AI can be used to generate original work, but only when humans lead with curiosity and intent, using intelligent tools not to repeat what’s been done but to provoke what hasn’t. How can designers push AI beyond familiar patterns, harness it to challenge assumptions, and build workflows where machine intelligence sparks unexpected directions? How can AI be used to produce work that surprises, delights, and stands apart in a world where sameness or even plagiarism is only a prompt away?