This thesis investigates the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into architectural design, specifically exploring its potential to augment the conceptual phase of the design process. Through a combination of historical contextualization, critical analysis, and design experimentation, the research examines the evolving role of the architect in an AI-mediated workflow, shifting from sole creator to strategic curator. The study begins by situating AI's emergence within the broader genealogy of automation in architecture, tracing key theoretical discourses from early cybernetics to contemporary Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and diffusion models. It critically examines the affordances and constraints of image-based generative models, evaluating their relevance to established architectural workflows.