So the higher ups in your company will let you spend that much time and money on a spoon design? I want to work where you work! 
Spending a lot of time with people using spoons? Cāmon man. The sad reality is that it comes down to whether or not the buyer at a retail store or big box chain likes the shape and quality of your spoon. All that research time and money can be flushed right down the toilet if the buyer looks at it and says āmehā. Research is important, but sometimes all you really need is a s3xy shape that utilizes your taste and skill as a designer. Consumers donāt always know what they want until they see it. Same goes for buyers and bosses. Design isnāt ALWAYS about solving problems. Sometimes it just has to be functional mass produced art that people want to buy. Are we not supposed to set the trends? Does everything you design need to be inspired by focus groups? Isnāt that the reason terrestrial radio stations suck?
Thatās not to say your points arenāt valid, but there are situations where this TOOL would come in handy. Lets say a glassware company for example. Set the parameters for a martini glass and let it rip! Worst case scenario is that it sparks an idea you didnāt have before. Whatās so wrong with that?
I think it would be a fun to have a generative design option available to me. Set certain parameters, look at the results, pick a few of the best ones, tweak the parameters a bit, look at more results, pick out a few more, narrow it down to three, show the boss, make some tweaks if you need it. Done.
IT IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE DESIGN PROCESS. It is a very cool option you can have ready in your tool box if you need it.
sheesh!