Design shall be performed by AI…my successor is a machine
- Mercedes-Benz design chief Gordon Wagener predicts AI will dominate automobile design inside 10 years
- Wagener stated Mercedes is already utilizing AI in automobile design
- Wagener stated digital screens aren’t luxurious and that Mercedes will shift focus is craftsmanship and class
Mercedes-Benz design chief Gorden Wagener believes synthetic intelligence will play an more and more dominant position in automotive design, doubtlessly evolving to some extent the place AI is answerable for practically all elements of the artistic course of.
In an interview with ABC Information revealed on Feb. 23, Wagener acknowledged that AI-driven design remains to be in its early phases however famous that Mercedes has already built-in AI into its design workflow.
He predicted that AI will drastically rework automotive design and recommended that inside a decade, the know-how may render most automobile designers out of date. He admitted that, at current, 99% of AI-generated designs are “crap,” however the remaining 1% is “good things” and bettering day-after-day.
“My successor shall be a machine and shall be less expensive than my wage,” he joked.
2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS
Past vehicles, Wagener has lately expanded his design affect to incorporate Mercedes-Benz-branded luxurious house towers in Dubai and Miami. Nonetheless, his main focus stays the way forward for automobile design, the place AI is predicted to develop into an indispensable instrument.
In the course of the interview, Wagener additionally addressed criticism surrounding Mercedes-Benz’s latest electrical automobile designs, notably the EQS sedan, which has confronted sluggish gross sales. The EQS’s jelly bean-like type, designed for aerodynamics, was described by Wagener as “progressive” and doubtlessly forward of its time. Nonetheless, Mercedes seems to be shifting away from this design language, choosing future EVs to extra intently resemble their gas-powered counterparts.
Wagener additionally expressed skepticism in regards to the rising prevalence of digital screens in trendy automobile interiors. Regardless of Mercedes-Benz boasting one of many largest automotive shows—the 56-inch Hyperscreen—he questioned their position in luxurious. “Screens aren’t luxurious,” he stated, emphasizing that Mercedes-Benz will focus extra on craftsmanship and class in future fashions.
He additional famous that clients are likely to understand EVs as digital gadgets, whereas gas-powered automobiles are seen as long-lasting, timeless objects, akin to Chrono watches. Wagener recommended that Mercedes-Benz will distinguish its EVs by making them really feel extra like a sensible house quite than a cell phone, notably as self-driving know-how turns into extra outstanding. Nonetheless, he famous that the prospect of a completely self-driving automobile remains to be a good distance off.
