Can We Have Spatial Awareness with AI?
Spatial knowledge and experience strengthens AI vision.
Spatial awareness is a deeply ingrained human instinct, developed through experience and honed over time. We feel the coziness of small spaces and the grandeur of cathedrals because our bodies intuitively process scale, depth, and proportion. As a Master’s student in Exhibition and Experience Design, I was constantly told that spatial awareness is something we develop—and I believe that’s true. But with AI-generated spaces, do we risk losing that skill?
Why Do We Perceive Space the Way We Do?
Science tells us that we have an innate ability to understand space through a combination of visual cues, proprioception, and environmental context. In movies, for example, cinematographers manipulate these cues to make spaces feel vast or claustrophobic. A simple trick? Exaggerated wide angles make rooms feel grander, while tight framing makes them feel more enclosed.
In my own experiments, I’ve seen that AI-generated spaces often lack the intuitive logic of human-designed environments. AI can generate a grand hall with exaggerated proportions, but does it understand why we feel comfortable in one space and disoriented in another? Can it replicate the instinctive warmth of a well-balanced room?
Case Study: AI vs. Human Spatial Design
Consider how architects use spatial psychology to design environments that evoke emotions. For instance, hospitals are designed with soft curves and warm lighting to reduce stress. AI can generate a blueprint, but without an understanding of human emotions, can it design spaces that truly feel "right"?
The Future of AI-Driven Spatial Awareness
Perhaps AI’s role in spatial design isn’t to replace intuition but to enhance it. Imagine an AI tool that predicts how people will emotionally respond to a space before it’s built. Instead of replacing spatial instinct, AI could become a testing ground—a digital rehearsal space for designers to refine and adjust their work before it comes to life.
