Figma Retracts AI Tool Amid Allegations of Plagiarizing Apple's Design

Tech & AI | July 2, 2024, 2:54 p.m.

Figma's new tool Make Designs, which uses generative AI, was recently pulled after it produced designs that closely resembled Apple's iOS weather app. CEO Dylan Field took responsibility for rushing the team to meet a deadline but defended the company's approach to developing AI tools. Not Boring Software CEO Andy Allen warned designers to carefully check and modify designs to avoid legal issues. Figma's CTO Kris Rasmussen stated that the AI tools were not trained on Apple's designs but instead used off-the-shelf models. Field clarified that Make Designs was not trained on Figma content and noted issues with variability in the AI models used. Rasmussen revealed that Figma plans to enhance its design system for more variation and quality control before re-enabling Make Designs. The company also aims to ensure future AI training aligns with professional design standards. The development suggests Figma will continue to refine their AI tools with user input and industry best practices.