Beyond those examples of how a model designer can collaborate, as AI progresses, there is a wider need to redefine roles. Companies are restructuring design teams, and in many cases there is no clarity on the role responsibilities. For most teams not working on AI projects, people are not even aware of the new roles emerging.

Content designers are now creating detailed guidelines to training models, lifting most of the weight, as language is the currency of most AI models. Their daily tasks differ vastly from classic content designers, working on the interaction side, however, they maintain the same title.

Researchers are imagining how data sets reflect user intent, and aligning them with the personas they have developed. Conversational designers, working on AI assistants, are breaking from traditional decision trees, and creating sets of prompts.

UX designers are moving to a strategic plane where they can coordinate the shaping of the model and the interaction needed on the user’s end.

Models designers are all of the above; there are many entry points, and many skills to master. It demands a blend of technical knowledge, excellent writing, and a deep understanding of the end-to-end user experience. Beyond specific roles, designers from all backgrounds should have an understanding of how models work. Being forever curious has never been more needed.

It’s an exciting time for our craft.