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AI is revolutionizing the way the world works, or at least, the way businesses of all shapes and sizes operate. From the use of synthetic intelligence to pit prevention methods in the race to incorporate virtual assistants, we see those two prominent letters appearing more and more every day. But what about the design procedure of an Italian sports car?Is it smart or does it go too far?
Earlier this week, The Drive spoke to Klaus Busse, Maserati’s global head of design, at the unveiling of the 2025 GranCabrio Folgore in Italy. There, Busse addressed the elephant in the room: Should AI be in the design procedure of a car?Perhaps most importantly, what is Maserati’s stance on such a questionable generation’s involvement in an incredibly artistic and intimate procedure?
“Thanks to AI, I can literally design 50 Maserati while having coffee with you,” Busse told The Drive. “The key now is to see where Maserati needs to go with this: what is the legacy?”
Maserati is best known for its sleek yet sporty designs, icons such as the original Ghibli written by Giorgetto Giugiaro or the striking 3500 GT. Design accolades are reserved for vintage Maserati, as Frank Stephenson’s striking MC12 remains a favorite of many, while models like the Quattroporte sedan and GranTurismo have become the face of the company in recent decades.
These existed long before AI, and one can’t help but think about the effect this generation may have had on them. After all, Maserati doesn’t shy away from implementing new technologies; This is the case with the MCXtrema race car, which is designed entirely via PC in about 8 weeks.
“Right now, AI doesn’t see the future, it’s just a mirror of everything it can locate on the internet,” Busse added. “It is a measure of all things created in the past [while adding] a certain degree of probability. to accomplish things that I might like.
“So yes, we use AI for some tools, but I don’t think AI is the answer,” Busse continued. “It’s just one tool among many and, like other techniques used in car design, requires an excessive degree of self-preservation. “
As Busse said about the MCXtrema, Maserati honors its afterlife by innovating, not recreating, hence the adoption of new technologies. The concept that each and every style has life-size clay styles and years of refinement is quite romantic, but it’s simply not feasible anymore.
AI is probably here to stay, but for now it can only generate concepts from the beyond or the present. For innovators like Busse and Maserati, that’s simply not enough.
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