What matters here is bringing them ducks down. Thats what designers are paid for. The reality is that, multiple rifle shots (as the consumer-ducks see it) is very similar to a volley of shot gun shots. In the past, Western companies hired a whole lot of rifelist - which they do not now, because shotgunist closer to manufacturing centers can produce the same volley faster and cheaper - aimed at the general direction of the ducks, which are brought down profitably. You may not fancy their methods, but most ducks nowadays are brought down this way.
I am informed by reliable duck anthropologists, that ducks in advanced consumer economies not only breed less (bringing duck population down) but are reportedly getting very selective , fussy and fickle. Worse still, these ducks seem to want to now get invovled in creating stuff. Important thing to note is that in advanced consumer economies it is the ducks that are in charge. They get to choose how they want to get shot.
So it ain’t easy for western companies to deal with these ducks. Hiring out more rifilist, or making more accurate rifles is no longer working for them. They need to focus on smaller fussier segments of duck populations and seek ways of engaging them. More about this http://mass-customization.blogs.com/mass_customization_open_i/ . Soon these companies will will be hiring people who can help them in this approach - Rifilist (not shot gunnist) - with specialized skills as it has already happened in architecture.
ZCorp printing is now down to couple of $ per cubic cm. Check out http://www.shapeways.com if you wish to study the trend. I am beginning to sense a general skepticism on the potential of any technology here. Some relief to note, that it is not reserved for generative design.
You make a good point here. Current research and effort is to improve this capability. There are ways to pick out distinctively different designs automatically out of billions of designs. I am also aware of some research that helps designers select by studying how they select, using neural networks.
True, this is not the classic use of generative design. If you put a consumer in front of a CAD machine, perhaps with scroll bars. They will scroll it out of cost, maneuverability and usability. Generative design is not only about creating generic models but also about constraint it within these limits - so as to limit the creative freedom to make it viable. This is called by engineers as constrained parametric modeling. So such web deployed constrained models are great for mass customization and consumer engagement.
I am not giving up on you Chris.
That’s the problem with designers - wanting to put in meaning. Ask your boss if he wants meaning or money ?
Generative Design has been a total distraction for me. I hope that it will be the same for you. 
So that you start talking in a language that only a few understand - not for long, but till they catchup.
I hope you will thank this discussion when you find the herd behind you 