Senior architect Cosmas Gozali emphasized that AI-generated designs cannot match human capabilities in the Daikin Designer Award (DDA) 2026 competition. He revealed detecting AI use through face-to-face interviews. The competition involves participants from four ASEAN countries.
In Jakarta on Thursday night, April 30, 2026, Cosmas Gozali, Senior Architect and Founder of PT Arya Cipta Garaha, discussed the limitations of AI in architectural design. "Human ability to translate emotions, cultural influences, and unique individual experiences is the soul of art that algorithms cannot match," he stated.
As one of the judges for DDA 2026, Gozali warned participants against using AI tools, as such designs would surely fail selection. He explained detection through direct interviews. "From there we can see the participant's gestures, eye gaze, whether they embody their work or not," he asserted.
The DDA 2026 competition, organized by PT Daikin Airconditioning Indonesia, is open to professionals and students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Categories include residential buildings and F&B commercial buildings, covering conceptual architecture and interior designs.
General Manager of PT Daikin Airconditioning Indonesia, Wenky Handono, explained that DDA aims to promote designs integrating aesthetics with ideal air management. "By introducing air management solutions to architects and designers from the planning stage, we hope to foster inspiration for ideal residential and commercial buildings," he said on the same occasion.