Episode 9: AI Rescue Is Now a Real Design Service

AI tools promised to make design easier, but for a lot of businesses they've created a new problem: designs that look generic, miss the mark, and sometimes even violate copyright. Carl has started calling the work that follows "AI rescue," and it's quickly becoming a real part of his business.
In this episode, Jake and Carl break down why AI-generated logos, brochures, and marketing materials are falling short in the real world. From healthcare brochures that aren't accessible to older audiences, to logos that consumers immediately recognize as AI-generated and reject, the gap between what AI produces and what clients actually need is wide open for skilled designers.

The conversation also covers what it's like to take on an intern for the first time as a solopreneur, the difference between teaching and coaching, and why mentoring the next generation of designers matters more than ever in an AI-saturated industry.

Plus, Jake and Carl talk honestly about their own use of AI tools, the real cost of replacing human workers with AI, how Google's shift to AI-first search is changing visibility for small businesses, and why sticking your head in the sand and refusing to engage with AI at all isn't the answer either.

A practical, honest conversation for designers, marketers, and small business owners trying to figure out where AI fits and where it falls flat.