Figma Temporarily Disables “Make Design” AI Feature After Accusations of Copying Apple’s Weather App
Recently, Figma CEO Dylan Field announced that the company would be temporarily disabling its “Make Design” AI feature following accusations that it was replicating designs from Apple’s Weather app. The issue was first brought to light by Andy Allen, the founder of NotBoring Software, who detected the similarities between Figma’s tool and Apple’s Weather app.
Field denied the claims that Figma heavily trained its tool on existing apps, as Allen had insinuated on X (formerly Twitter). The controversial AI feature was unveiled at Figma’s Config conference, with the company emphasizing that it was not trained on Figma content, community files, or app designs, as Field clarified in his response.
Although the Make Design feature was intended to assist developers in generating UI layouts and components from text prompts, the rush to release new AI features without thorough quality assurance has raised concerns within the design community. Some designers fear that AI tools like Make Design could lead to job displacement, while others believe it will streamline repetitive tasks and spark fresh design ideas.
Allen’s discovery of Figma possibly copying existing apps has triggered caution among designers. He advised designers using the Make Design feature to scrutinize their results carefully to avoid any legal repercussions. In response, Field acknowledged the issue and acknowledged the lack of variability in the generated designs.
Consequently, Figma will be disabling the Make Design feature until the team can ensure the quality and originality of its output. Field took responsibility for the oversight in the QA process and assured users that the feature will undergo a comprehensive review before being reinstated.
For now, designers utilizing Figma will have to explore other design tools, as the Make Design feature will remain disabled until further notice. The decision to halt the feature reflects Figma’s commitment to upholding design integrity and fostering innovation within the industry.