Skoda's head of exterior design, Karl Neuhold, says AI image generators have reached a quality that left him genuinely surprised, and he is warning that the technology could shrink entry-level opportunities in car design studios. Speaking to Dutch publication Autoweek, Neuhold described producing polished renderings from a rough sketch in seconds.
His concern is not that AI will replace senior designers outright. It is that if small teams can generate professional-quality images almost instantly, junior staff may never get the chance to learn the craft on the job.
Neuhold has experimented with the tools himself and came away impressed by how little input they need. "I'm shocked by how good it is. I use it myself, and I'm so surprised by a simple sketch that, in seconds, gives you versions you couldn't have rendered better yourself," he told Autoweek.
His message to fellow designers is blunt: adapt or fall behind. In his view, sketching alone will no longer be enough to stay competitive, and designers need to build AI into their workflows rather than ignore it.
The productivity gain, and the catch
The upside is speed. A rough sketch can now spawn several finished renderings within seconds, letting teams visualise and communicate ideas that would once have taken far longer to produce.
The catch is headcount. Neuhold acknowledges that if a smaller team can produce more designs in less time, automakers may eventually need fewer people in their studios. "Do we even need that many people anymore? Unfortunately, yes. That's really tough for young designers right now; how are they supposed to become professionals? The quality [of AI] is astonishing, unbelievable," he said.
The risk is a talent pipeline problem: experienced designers become more productive, but if junior designers never get hired, the industry could struggle to develop its next generation of seniors.
Hand sketches still matter at interview
Despite his enthusiasm, Neuhold has not told aspiring designers to abandon traditional skills. When he evaluates job applicants, he still encourages them to bring hand-drawn sketches that demonstrate their creativity.
That distinction matters because generating a convincing image is not the same as originating one. Automotive design involves far more than an attractive picture: proportions, sensors, lighting systems and a multitude of technical regulations all shape what a car can look like.
Neuhold's position is that someone still has to decide what the car should be in the first place. AI may collapse the time between sketch and rendering, but designers must still understand what customers want from a car and find ways to surprise them.
The identity question
There is also a commercial wrinkle. If every studio can generate dozens of concepts from a few prompts, and rival brands have access to the same tools, protecting intellectual property and keeping a distinctive design language could get harder. Neuhold's warning points to a market where cars risk looking increasingly alike.
For now, his advice splits by seniority: designers who learn to use AI gain a real advantage over those who don't, while the harder challenge for newcomers is simply finding a studio willing to give them their first job.
Skoda has not announced any changes to its design process, staffing or hiring approach as a result of AI; Neuhold's comments describe his personal outlook rather than a company policy.
