Mitigating the Effects of AI Disruption on Art and Design Creativity: Redefining the Role of Designers and Educators

The growing integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in art and design education presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly within developing contexts such as Nigeria. The problem lies in the tension between technological advancement and the preservation of human creativity, originality, and material skill. This study investigates how GenAI influences creative expression, pedagogical practices, and ethical considerations in Nigerian art and design institutions. Guided by constructivist learning theory, which emphasizes experiential and reflective knowledge construction, the study adopts a qualitative phenomenological design to capture the lived experiences of educators, students, and professional designers. Data were gathered from 32 participants across six tertiary institutions in southwestern Nigeria through interviews and focus group discussions. Findings reveal that while GenAI enhances efficiency in idea generation and visual rendering, it simultaneously reduces conceptual depth and manual exploration. Participants expressed concerns about the erosion of craft skills, ambiguity in authorship, and ethical dilemmas surrounding originality and ownership. However, educators are increasingly adapting their teaching methods, shifting from instructor-centered approaches to facilitative, critique-based learning that integrates AI critically rather than dependently. The study concludes that GenAI functions as both a disruptor and democratizer of creativity, reshaping the roles of designers and educators alike. To sustain authentic artistic practice, it recommends embedding AI ethics and creativity modules in curricula, improving digital infrastructure, promoting continuous upskilling for educators, and encouraging hybrid models that balance analog craft with AI-assisted ideation. These strategies ensure a resilient and ethically grounded art education in the AI era.