Figma CEO says AI superintelligence doesn’t threaten the company

Figma CEO Dylan Field said AI is not an immediate threat to the company’s design software business as it prepares for its public market debut.

Figma’s shares surged 250% on their first day of trading at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on July 31, 2025.

Field told that Figma’s technology, including its graphics engine, is complex and not easily replicated by advanced AI systems.

He added that this complexity makes it challenging for AI, including so-called superintelligence, to fully replace Figma’s offerings.

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ AI is already reshaping design workflows despite leadership skepticism

While Figma’s CEO downplays AI as a serious threat, the design industry is already experiencing significant AI-driven transformation.

AI is projected to become a $118.6 billion industry by 2025, with design tools increasingly automating repetitive tasks and enhancing user experiences 1.

Current AI applications in design include converting handwritten designs into HTML code, personalizing user experiences through AI-driven analytics, and automating testing processes that traditionally required manual A/B testing 1.

Rather than replacing designers entirely, industry analysis suggests AI will shift designers into “curator” roles, where they set parameters and select from AI-generated options, potentially allowing them to explore more design variations in less time 2.

This evolution is consistent with trends in other software sectors where many companies are already investing in AI to enhance development processes, indicating that AI adoption in design may accelerate regardless of individual company leadership perspectives 3.

2️⃣ Figma’s collaborative platform advantage may prove crucial in AI competition

Figma’s web-based collaborative approach positions it differently than traditional desktop software as AI reshapes design tools.

The company serves 13 million users, with two-thirds being non-designers, demonstrating how collaborative platforms can expand beyond traditional design professionals 4.

This broad user base could provide valuable training data for AI features, as collaborative platforms generate more diverse usage patterns and feedback than isolated desktop applications.