Will art directors be replaced by AI?
Updated
Art directors score 50 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 76%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. The other 24% stays with people.
- 76% AI helps
- 24% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 75% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 16 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 12 and leaves 4 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing. AI drafts typography specs and markup; designer reviews output. | 62% AI helps |
| Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound. AI generates layout options and type specs; director approves choices. | 60% AI helps |
| Research current trends and new technology, such as printing production techniques, computer software, and design trends. Search and summarization tools speed research; judgement still needed. | 60% AI helps |
| Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements. Image AI makes draft elements; custom craft still needs artists. | 55% AI helps |
| Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications. Preflight software and AI can check specs; judgement stays human. | 55% AI helps |
| Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production. Image AI can draft storyboard frames; director controls timing choices. | 55% AI helps |
| Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices. UI generation tools help; interaction and user judgement stays human. | 50% AI helps |
| Work with creative directors to develop design solutions. AI can generate concept options; director judges and selects direction. | 45% AI helps |
| Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members. AI checks copy and specs; visual approval stays human. | 45% AI helps |
| Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements. Tools track schedules and budgets; person is responsible for decisions and tradeoffs. | 40% AI helps |
Show the other 6 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques. Client discussions need live judgement; AI helps prep briefs. | 25% AI helps |
| Present final layouts to clients for approval. AI can prep deck; person still presents and defends layouts. | 22% AI helps |
| Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities. Live coordination with department heads; AI only summarizes notes. | 18% Needs a person |
| Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed. Negotiation is live and relational; AI helps compare quotes. | 18% Needs a person |
| Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing. Hiring and coaching rely on people skills and accountability. | 12% Needs a person |
| Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained. Requires physical presence at shoots and press runs. | 5% Needs a person |
How art directors compare
All occupations (923)
Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media (40)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $114,850 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 53,070 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +4.2% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Run preflight checks on print files in Adobe InDesign
- Set storyboard timing for television in Adobe After Effects
- Present final layouts to clients in Microsoft PowerPoint
- Negotiate print quotes with printers and estimators
- Hire and coach layout staff for print production
- Direct custom illustration style in Adobe Illustrator
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about art directors and AI
Will AI replace art directors?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly marking up layouts, writing typography specs and drafting basic layout options. Client meetings, presentations and final sign-off stay with people because they need live judgement and accountability.
Which tasks is AI taking over for art directors?
Marking up layouts and writing typography instructions is the most exposed task, scoring 62. AI drafts the typography specs and markup, so the art director mainly reviews the output. Storyboard frames, scoring 55, can be drafted by image AI, while the director still sets the timing.
Which art director tasks stay human?
Attending photo shoots and press runs scores 5 on exposure because it needs physical presence on set and on press. Hiring and coaching staff, scoring 12, relies on people skills and accountability. Negotiating with printers, scoring 18, is live and relational, so AI only helps compare quotes.
How can art directors stay valuable as AI takes over tasks?
Use Figma and PowerPoint to build the client brief and presentation approach, then present final layouts yourself. Run preflight checks in Adobe InDesign and sign off each print file. Keep storyboard timing and final typography calls in Adobe After Effects and InDesign, since they need your judgement. Stay on press runs and photo shoots in person.
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