Why Your Logo Deserves Better Than AI
AI design tools are booming. Platforms like Looka, Brandmark, and Canva’s AI logo generator promise sleek logos in minutes – no design experience needed.
And hey, we love a bit of tech innovation. But while relying on AI might save time upfront – it could cost your brand a whole lot more in the long run.
Here’s what you need to know…
1. Your Logo Could Look Just Like Someone Else’s
AI design tools are trained on massive datasets – often scraped from existing logos and creative work across the internet. The problem? That can lead to derivative work.
Translation: your logo may end up looking eerily similar to someone else’s.
We ran a quick test using AI to generate a logo for a disability service provider (a space we know inside out). The result? Clean, people-focused… and featuring those cheerful, jumping figures with floating heads you’ll find across half the sector.
Your logo should turn heads, spark recognition, and set you apart – not get lost in a sea of sameness.
2. Ownership and Copyright? It’s Complicated.
AI-generated designs sit in a murky space when it comes to copyright and ownership.
In Australia, there’s currently no clear legislation on who owns the rights to images created by AI.
What we do know is this: copyright only protects work made by a human. So, AI can’t own what it creates.
For a human or business to hold copyright, however, they’d need to prove they contributed meaningful creative input – like specific direction, detailed prompts, or significant editing.
So, if your logo was mostly or entirely AI-generated with minimal input? You might not actually own it.
And that’s a very risky game to play with something as foundational as your logo.
Bottom line? If you want to protect your brand, you need a logo with a clear creative chain – and that starts with human authorship.
3. There’s No Human Strategy Behind It
Strong logos aren’t just an aesthetic. They’re rooted in brand thinking – who you are, who you serve, and why you exist.
That kind of nuance requires research, insight, and emotional intelligence.
AI doesn’t do brand discovery with any justice. It doesn’t ask the hard questions or challenge your thinking.
A good designer will. They’ll tune into the heartbeat of your business, and pick up on the quirks, cues, and lived experiences that make your brand uniquely you.
Without that, you’re not building a brand – you’re just decorating.
Take Airbnb’s old logo. Kind of looked like bubble writing you’d find on a 2006 travel blog.
But in 2014 came the Bélo – a symbol of belonging. Part heart, part person, part location pin, part “A” – all cleverly wrapped into one iconic mark.
That’s the power of brand strategy – it turns “just a logo” into something meaningful.
4. Accessibility and Adaptability Is Often Overlooked
Your logo needs to work everywhere – from Instagram and websites to packaging and signage. And it needs to work for everyone.
Can someone with low vision make it out clearly? Does it hold up in high contrast mode? Is it legible at tiny sizes?
A human designer will bake accessibility into the brief. They’ll think about colour contrast, scale, legibility, and how your logo adapts – without losing impact.
Sure, you can ask AI to generate a logo that’s “accessible.” You might even prompt it to consider contrast, simplicity, or readability.
But here’s the catch: AI doesn’t understand what accessibility means in the real-world.
It’s not testing against WCAG guidelines. It’s not considering how it performs on a phone screen in bright sunlight, or how it looks to someone with colour blindness.
True accessibility requires empathy, experience, and actual testing.
5. The ethics of AI designs are questionable
Many of the popular AI design tools are trained on massive databases of other people’s creative work – without permission.
That opens up a whole can of worms around ethics and originality.
No shade for those who have already taken the AI route (we get the initial appeal of a quick fix), but if purpose is your thing, it’s worth making sure your design choices support creators.
So… Should You Never Use AI in Design?
Not at all! AI can be a handy sidekick – great for sparking early stage ideas.
But when it comes to creating a brand identity that actually works – strategically, visually, ethically – you need humans. (Smooth ones. Like us.)
Need help crafting a logo that’s meaningful, accessible, and actually yours? Let’s chat.
