Art Directors
Official O*NET title: Art Directors (27-1011.00)
Also called: art director, art supervisor, creative director, creative manager, creative services director
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing art directors work
4 of 12 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 33%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Talk with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Research current trends and new technology (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Work with creative directors to develop design solutions (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Present final layouts to clients for approval (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Talk with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to make sure that the products needed are obtained (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing — a lot of recorded AI use
- Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production — some recorded AI use
- Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices — no recorded AI use
- Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements”. Try the prompt for: “Talk with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and art directors
Will AI replace art directors?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 4 of the 12 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Amber rating (some AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 10 of the 16 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which art director tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: create custom illustrations or other graphic elements; mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing; talk with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
Which art director tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: work with creative directors to develop design solutions; present final layouts to clients for approval; manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 78% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a art director start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Art Directors ranks #240 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #14 of 31 in Creative & Media.
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