Industrial design education in the age of AI: friend or foe?

The rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has motivated both excitement and concern in the creative industry. For design educators, the question is no longer "Should we use Al?" but rather, "How do we use it responsibly and meaningfully in the design process?" In my experience teaching Diploma in Industrial Design students, sketching remains a fundamental tool in developing ideas. In the recent semester, I decided to explore the space between tradition and technology. Using walkie-talkie concept sketches produced by my Semester 1 students, I generated Al-based visuals derived from those sketches. The goal was not to replace the student work, but to compare outcomes and reflect on how Al might support or interrupt the early stages of the design process. This article presents that experience and asks a timely question: In the age of generative Al, is technology a design ally or are we at risk of losing the human essence behind creative work?