86% of designers are using AI. 10% believe it has a positive impact.

The creative industry survey you should read before calling this an AI revolution.

882 designers surveyed. 86% are using AI. 10% believe it has a positive impact.

That is not a typo. The adoption rate and the satisfaction rate are 76 points apart.

The industry is using AI under pressure, not by choice. Clients expect it. Pricing has dropped. Faster delivery is now the baseline, not the differentiator. 69% report burnout. Nearly half of freelancers earn under £30,000 a year.

The people still talking about AI as an opportunity are mostly the people selling tools. The people doing the work are absorbing the cost.

The question is not whether to use AI. It is whether you are building something with it or just subsidising someone else's margin.