Few days back at the 2025 Festival of Digital Innovation (FDI), I had the chance to share thoughts on a topic that’s been echoing across the design and tech industries: Design in the Age of AI – Threat, Tool, or Transformative Ally? As both Founder/MD of Interiologic and Regional MD of I-AM , this subject sits close to my everyday reality—where technology meets human-centered design.

My aim was simple: to shift the conversation from fear to foresight. AI isn't here to replace us—it’s here to refine how we work, think, and create. As designers, we need to move beyond the binary of man vs. machine and start seeing AI as a partner that augments our craft. One idea I shared, inspired by my mentor Tze Boon Ong , was this: "Humans are shifting their ideals in the design industry—from being Creators to becoming Curators." This evolution doesn't diminish our role; it redefines it, with more room for strategic vision, empathy, and intentional storytelling.

Happy to see the discussion spark real interest among professionals, students, and industry leaders alike—because the future of design depends not on resisting change, but in choosing how we shape it. Thank you Pak Ray Sugiarto and Jing Rui Goh for inviting me, it was an honor.