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

"Architecture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" by Neil Leach, first published in 2022, is already being prepared for a second edition slated for release in 2025. However, an updated Ukrainian translation of the book is set to arrive earlier—in the summer of 2024!

The author has generously incorporated updates from the forthcoming second edition into the Ukrainian version to "better reflect the evolving landscape of ideas and technological advancements driving the revolution in AI design."

In this book, Neil Leach explores the application of artificial intelligence in architecture and the concept of the "city-brain" of the future within a broad context. Beginning with a concise history of AI, he delves into philosophical topics, such as AI's capacity for creativity, the redefinition of art, and the reconsideration of human thought processes through the lens of AI. At the same time, the book addresses practical issues—from copyright challenges to specific software tools architects are already employing today.

Rich with information, the text also provides an extensive reading list and numerous links for further exploration, with approximately 700 notes accompanying the main content.

But that’s not all. Neil Leach is currently working on a second book to serve as both a continuation and a dialectical counterpoint to the first. The author explains:
“This series reflects a paradox. The first volume, Architecture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, highlights AI’s positive contributions, detailing its remarkable achievements and potential to design our buildings in the future. The second volume, The Death of the Architect, explores AI’s darker side, outlining its threats in terms of unemployment, surveillance, and the erosion of personal freedoms. These two volumes are intended as a dialectical opposition. Neither is meant to be more persuasive than the other, leaving readers to form their own opinions based on the arguments presented. Yet, these arguments are, to some extent, the same—like two sides of the same coin. After all, when AI can design our buildings, will it not lead to the Death of the Architect?”

This thought-provoking book is essential reading for those interested in the intersection of architecture, technology, and philosophy, offering both a vision of possibility and a cautionary tale for the future.