exactly.
The understanding of design as a management of constrains is not new. The understanding that nature’s designs are based on generative designs are not new. The understanding that computers can devise strategies that beat the best human players is not new. The use of computers as intelligent design tools is not new.
But for most IDe’rs the concept that the computer is more than a 3d drawing tool seems to be very new and hard to digest.
So to answer the question, what is generative design ? its about using the computers for design exploration.