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Aipedia: Interior designers
BIID has published no AI guidance, so interior designers using AI must meet the existing Code of Conduct clauses on honesty, competence, written terms, accuracy and confidentiality. Those clauses, with CDM and Building Regulations duties, are the standard a complaint or claim would be judged against.
Part of: AI in Interior designers
In short
There is no statutory regulator for interior designers. The BIID Code of Conduct, dated 1 April 2026, binds Registered Interior Designers and Associate members but says nothing about AI, and the guidance notes have no AI note. The relevant clauses are 1(a) truthful promotion, 1(b)(i) and 4(c) competence, 3 written agreements including IP ownership at 3(b)(vi), 4(d) accurate information to suppliers, 5 confidentiality and 8(e) no copying. On construction work, CDM 2015 reg 9 and Building Regulations Part 2A designer duties apply as law. BIID also requires Registered Interior Designers to hold PI.
"Interior designer" is not a protected title in the UK and there is no statutory regulator. Anyone can trade under the name. The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is the professional body, and its Code of Conduct applies to Registered Interior Designers and Associate members. The current version is dated 1 April 2026.
The Code is binding as a condition of membership, not as law. A breach can lead to BIID complaint and disciplinary processes, and in a negligence claim the Code is likely to be used as evidence of the standard expected of a competent designer. Clause 4(a) itself refers to reasonable skill and care in line with the normal standards of the profession.
| Source | Status | Date | What it says about AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIID Code of Conduct | Binding on members | 1 April 2026 | Nothing. "Technologies" appears only in 14(a)(iv), on sustainable technologies. |
| BIID Code guidance notes | Guidance | Current | No AI note. |
| CDM Regulations 2015, reg 9 | Law | 2015 | Not AI-specific; designer duties apply to any design. |
| Building Regulations 2010, Part 2A (England) | Law | Current | Not AI-specific; competence and compliance duties for designers. |
| Government Report on Copyright and AI | Policy report, no law change | 18 March 2026 | Proposes removing protection for purely computer-generated works. |
As at October 2026, BIID had not published any plan to add AI guidance. The full text is in the Code PDF, and the guidance notes sit alongside it.
| Clause | Requirement | AI in practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1(a)(i) to (ii) | Truthful, factual statements; honesty about qualifications, expertise and resources | AI-generated portfolio images, virtual staging and claims about capability must not mislead. |
| 1(a)(iv) | Avoid breaching copyright when promoting services | Marketing imagery generated by AI should be checked for resemblance to others' work. |
| 1(b)(i) | Only take on work you are qualified and competent to do | An AI tool does not make a designer competent in lighting or electrical layouts. |
| 3(a) to (c) | Written agreement covering scope, fees, IP ownership and design rights (3(b)(vi)), insurance; variations in writing (3(b)(xi)); no unfair terms for consumers (3(c)) | AI-drafted terms must still contain these items and be fair to consumer clients. |
| 4(a) | Reasonable skill and care | Every AI output relied on needs checking to the normal professional standard. |
| 4(c) | Competence, and that colleagues and subcontractors have skills, resources and supervision | Staff using AI need training and review. |
| 4(d) | Information to consultants and suppliers accurate in all material respects | AI-generated schedules and specifications must be verified before issue. |
| 5(a) to (c), 5(e) | Protect client data; no disclosure without permission; review processes and act on breaches | Uploading client home photos and plans to AI tools needs the same care as any disclosure. |
| 6(j) | Designs or data you or colleagues produced should not be taken to win other work without the employing business's written permission | Feeding past schemes into AI tools for new pitches needs thought; clause 5(c) on client data also applies. |
| 8(e) | Do not knowingly copy another designer's work or plagiarise | Prompts naming a designer, and outputs that echo their work, create risk. |
When work involves construction, two sets of legal duties apply on top of the Code. Regulation 9 of the CDM Regulations 2015 sets out the duties of designers, who must eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable risks to health and safety so far as reasonably practicable and provide information to others. In England, Part 2A of the Building Regulations 2010 requires designers to be competent for the work (reg 11F) and, under reg 11K, to take reasonable steps so their design would comply with the relevant requirements if built, and to give others enough information to comply.
These duties sit with the person doing the design work. An AI layout that blocks an escape route or a lighting plan that ignores fire separation is the designer's responsibility. See AI space planning and AI lighting layouts.
Clause 7 requires insurance appropriate to the nature and size of the business, adequate for claims from professional activities, and covering the designer, practice and employees. Members should take reasonable steps to check subcontractors are insured (7(d)) and advise clients to check other project parties are adequately insured (7(e)). BIID guidance says Registered Interior Designers must hold PI and public liability cover, but no minimum limit is set.
There is no BIID or insurer statement on AI and PI. In practice, a claim from AI-assisted work is usually assessed as a claim about the designer's professional work, subject to the policy terms. Telling your insurer how AI is used is part of a fair presentation of the risk. Read more in do interior designers need PI and does PI cover AI and IP claims.
How Apex helps: Apex arranges PI for interior designers. A broker can review your cover against Code clause 7 and check how your policy treats AI-assisted design work. See PI for interior designers.
No. The version dated 1 April 2026 does not mention AI, and "technologies" appears only in clause 14(a)(iv) about sustainable technologies. The existing clauses on honesty, competence, written agreements, accuracy and confidentiality still apply to work done with AI.
It binds Registered Interior Designers and Associate members as a condition of membership, not as law. It is still likely to be relevant in a negligence dispute as evidence of the standard expected of a competent interior designer.
They can. Where interior design work involves construction, CDM 2015 regulation 9 designer duties apply, and in England Building Regulations Part 2A requires designers to be competent and to take reasonable steps so their design would comply if built.
The Code has no specific disclosure rule for AI. Clause 1(a) requires truthful statements, so AI imagery should not be presented as something it is not, and your written agreement is a sensible place to explain how AI is used and who owns the results.
Tell us about your firm and the work you do. A broker will review how your current PI treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Start a PI quote Request a callbackApex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
