Figma has paused its AI-powered app creator, Make Designs, following accusations that it closely mimicked Apple’s weather app. The tool, which generates UI layouts from text prompts, faced criticism after users reported it produced designs almost identical to Apple's Weather app.
The controversy, which caught many by surprise, began when Andy Allen, founder of Not Boring Software, discovered that repeated requests to design a weather app with Make Designs resulted in outputs nearly identical to Apple's version. Allen highlighted this on X (formerly Twitter), sharing that three separate attempts all yielded the same result.
Figma CEO Dylan Field defended the tool, stating that it was not trained on Figma content, community files, or app designs. Instead, the AI used large language models to guide a design system created by Figma's designers. Field acknowledged the issue was due to low variability in the design system, which led to the unintentional similarity with Apple's app.
Field took responsibility for the oversight, citing a rushed quality assurance process to meet a deadline for Figma’s annual Config conference. He emphasized the importance of improving the tool to prevent such issues in the future, hinting at potential changes and developments in Figma's AI technology.
This incident follows the collapse of Adobe's $20 billion takeover bid for Figma, which was blocked by EU and UK regulators over competition concerns. Adobe paid a $1 billion termination fee after the deal fell through.
Figma has been contacted for further comment on the issue.