Architecture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction to AI for Architects

Brilliantly written and super clear. Leach writes a comprehensive book offering a practical and philosophical look at the concepts and technologies driving artificial intelligence in architecture and related creative industries. The book references Leach's discussions and interviews with the leading authorities in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, philosophy, and architecture. There are well-written chapters on what AI is and its brief history, together with more philosophical chapters on creativity, art, and neuroscience, before jumping into a discussion of AI within architecture. Leach covers some of the larger architecture firms conducting AI research, such as Coop Himmelb(l)au, ZHA, and Morphosis, and other companies providing AI services to architects such as Autodesk, Spacemaker.ai, and XKool. There is a more extensive discussion on AI in urban planning and the city, and a final chapter on predictions from experts in the field on the future of AI, emphasizing how AI could influence the world of architecture. There are many examples of the use of AI in building performance and sustainable design. This book is not only for architects who want a deeper understanding of how AI will affect the industry, but it is also an excellent primer for anyone interested in AI and its future potential.

A book that every architect interested in the future of the profession, and mainly in Artificial Intelligence, should read. It presents a very accurate historical introduction to the evolution of AI and it's present-day and introduces us to companies and architectural firms that are developing new tools and ways of applying AI. In particular, and by proximity to the way I work in my classes, I am mainly interested in the work of offices like Coop Himmelb(l)au, ZHA, and Morphosis. I find really interesting the development introduced by XKool, with all their tools.

As an undergraduate student in the field of Architecture Design, I always had an interest to learn more about Artificial Intelligence & computational design, I was in deep need of an introduction to AI, however not in the general term but within the field of Architecture. What is Artificial Intelligence? Where is Artificial Intelligence? We are surrounded by AI and we don't realize it. In this world that's filled with AI-generated images "Midjourney, Dall-E, Stable diffusion" The book was one of the first readily available books to touch on those tools and to show examples of generative adversarial networks "GAN". Going over the history of AI shows a great example that this issue is not a new thing. Back in the 90s, people were afraid that computers will take over the role of the Architect, but still, we are here. The Future of AI, As an architect, this opened my mind to the future of technology looking at the technical side of things. However, I found it also relatively necessary to read this book to improve my soft skills in architecture, and how we use our technical "hard" skills for a greater purpose. It is very easy to fall into the trap of fear of the future of AI and Architecture, and I hope everyone who's reading this book, could understand the future in a better way, and as architects the future that we will be designing for us and the rest of the world.

This book is excellent. I am a Professor of Architecture and am currently completing a PhD on AI. I can imagine it serving well for those needing an introduction, but I think it also works well in tying together the different aspects of AI within architecture for those of us more familiar with the subject. I particularly enjoyed "The History of AI", "AI and the City of the Future" and "The Future of AI". I would imagine this book will be seminal for many works to come.

This book reduces architecture to spectacle and leaves readers with an unbalanced, overly optimistic vision of AI’s role in practice. It leans too heavily on speculation and glossy examples from star firms while downplaying the everyday realities of budgets, codes, and client demands. I don’t feel Neil knows much more than the slop he generates for himself.

As Neil Leach writes, the development of this book has taken many years. If you are familiar with his career trajectory, you will agree that he always writes well-structured and well-researched books, as any critical scholar should. However, the topic of artificial intelligence in architecture (in both practice and discipline) is a relatively new phenomenon. It may even mark the peak of the digital revolution that began in the early 1990s. Writing a book about a technology undergoing accelerated innovation requires courage; in recent months, we have seen a proliferation of web-based AI applications that use GPT-3 and generative adversarial networks (GANs) that create marketing copy, blog content, and architectural illustrations through text prompt. Leach begins by recounting the history of technology within architecture and media art. He discusses several popular events that have drawn public attention to the technology, such as the match between Korean Lee Sedol and Deepmind's artificial intelligence Alpha Go in 2016. In today's world, artificial intelligence is an integral part of a wide range of gadgets that are used daily. However, AI presents the paradox that as it becomes ubiquitous, it becomes invisible and operates in the background until it malfunctions, much like many large technological systems (LTS). According to Susan Leigh Starr, infrastructure systems are only visible when they fail. On questions of authorship, Leach explores the ethics and potentials of neural networks sampling the creative history of humanity, or at least the one to which the neural network has access during its "training" session. In addition, the author speculates on AI's potential beyond systematization and ponders its potential to enhance creativity in humans. In the third and final section, the author examines possible scenarios for Ai in the production of architecture, the managing of smart cities, and the planet's future. Here is where the book becomes projective and speculates on the approach architects and designers can take when examining the potential future of AI in our built environment. It is significant to note that Leach does not present an answer to this question but rather lists a decalogue of possible outcomes. These include consequences for the architectural office, the architect's education, and even the relationship between the architect and client. However, Leach emphasizes a final prediction we must all reckon with—the death of the architect. Rene Peralta Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture University of Oklahoma

I have really enjoyed reading Neil Leach's latest book. I find his ideas and observations inspiring and insightful. I am sure some of his bold predictions about the future impact of AI on architecture will prove to be close to the mark. I am a researcher in the field of structural design. This book has 'generated' new ideas in my mind for my own work on trying to integrate the 'blackbox' of computational algorithms and the creative thinking of human designer. According to Leach, AI is already capable of making creative decisions - a fascinating example is move 37 played by AlphaGo during the historical match when the AI programme defeated professional Go player Lee Sedol in 2016. This is the first volume of a series of books by Leach on AI and Architecture. I can't wait to read its sequels.

Very inspiring book that is really clear written. The book doesn't not require any specific knowledges to get excited about the world of AI and the technologies of today and the future. I really recommend it to everyone who wants to participate in the creating a better future for our word and to be prepared of what is awaiting us very soon. The topic Neil covers is not the easiest but, but the structure of the book allows anyone to understand the world of AI and learn all its aspects. Great job!

The book is a comprehensive guide that explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on architecture. It offers an introduction to the field of AI and how it is revolutionising the way architects design buildings. It covers a wide range of topics, including the history of AI, the basics of machine learning and deep learning, the role of AI in architectural design, and the potential applications of AI in the future. Through case studies and examples, the book demonstrates how AI can enhance design productivity and creativity while also improving building performance and energy efficiency. It also discusses the ethical and social implications of AI in architecture and how architects can use this technology to address global challenges such as climate change and urbanisation.

Comprehensive view on the history, present, and history of AI as it pertains to art, architecture, and the built environment.

Very easy to read in just a few hours, great introduction to AI but it might not last long as a relevant document of the time due to the constantly developing topic and the architecture part is a lot less interesting than the more general one.