With the rise of AI tools flooding the creative space, the way we approach design is fundamentally shifting. Brands now have access to unprecedented power—generative models that can produce presentations, graphics, campaigns, and websites in seconds. But with that power comes a responsibility: to protect your brand’s identity and ensure the integrity of your design ethos doesn’t get diluted in the race toward convenience.
While AI undoubtedly unlocks a more efficient workflow, managers may be reassessing the capabilities of AI-driven tools in 2025. In our second annual AI in the Workplace Survey, only 7% of those interviewed described AI outputs as better than results delivered by human managers— a 15% decrease from 2024. This tells us that as professionals continue to explore AI tools, and become more familiar with results from the technology, they’re valuing quality over quantity.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you navigate designing—presentations or otherwise— in the age of AI.
The anti-AI aesthetic
Over the course of the last 30 years stock photography had its big moment. It provided an easy and affordable way to access high-quality images without having to arrange a custom photo shoot. Somewhere along the way, stock photography got a reputation for feeling staged, generic, or overly polished, making them seem inauthentic or disconnected from real-life experiences.
AI-generated images are trending in the same direction.
As AI-generated content saturates the visual landscape, we're beginning to see the emergence of an "anti-AI aesthetic." It’s a movement back to grounded, real, analog principles of design that favors texture, materiality, and intentional imperfection. When AI tools produce endless variations of the same glossy, hyper-sanitized look, a gritty, crafted visual presence stands out. It reminds us of the human hand behind the brand.
Presentation design that leans into this grounded approach doesn’t reject AI—it reclaims the steering wheel. It uses AI as a tool, not a crutch, preserving the spirit of the brand and authenticity across every slide.
The problem with AI beauty
AI has a beauty problem. Trained on biased datasets and shaped by unrealistic standards, AI tends to replicate a narrow definition of what “looks good.” That means sameness—same lighting, same proportions, same faces. It leads to visuals that feel airbrushed and unrealistic, undercutting the authenticity that brands spend years cultivating.
Designers in 2025 are beginning to pivot away from this, opting for more truthful representations: depictions of real people, with real imperfections. This shift is not just aesthetic—it’s ethical. The brands that succeed in the AI era will be the ones that recognize these biases and actively work against them, rather than leaning into the easy, over-produced allure of generative tools.
Brand protection is non-negotiable
When everyone has access to AI design tools, the question becomes not can you design, but should you? The democratization of design is powerful—but it also threatens to flatten brand distinction. If your team or audience can spin up endless AI-generated content without oversight, it becomes easy for your brand voice, tone, and visual identity to slip through the cracks.
This is why protecting your brand goes beyond guidelines—it’s about culture. It’s about educating teams on how to use AI responsibly, emphasizing quality over quantity, and designing with intention rather than impulse. The brands that will thrive in this next wave are those that use AI as a collaborator—not a replacement.
Beautiful.ai’s Team plan is a powerful tool to ensure brand protection in a world of AI generated presentations. With intentional guardrails, and brand control, individual contributors can add in (or generate) their content without straying too far from company guidelines.
Design integrity is more important than accessibility
As the novelty of AI dies down, daily usage of the tools has reduced. Our survey revealed that only 18% of managers use AI on a daily basis in 2025, a 14% decrease from the previous year. However, this isn’t to say that the value of AI has decreased. As people make space for AI in their workflow, they are (and should be) more intentional about how and when they’re using the tools. Instead of trying to force the use of AI simply because it’s available, professionals are seeking the most beneficial ways to leverage the AI-powered design tools.
While accessibility of design tools has opened doors, it’s also introduced a dangerous shortcut mindset. Brands can’t afford to prioritize speed or convenience over design integrity. Every asset is a reflection of the company’s brand, and should be treated as such.
Design integrity means staying true to what your brand stands for—even if that means resisting trends, rejecting default templates, and reintroducing a sense of craft into your process. AI can supercharge your creativity—but it only works if you stay in control of the final content.
.jpg)
