Automated Conceptual Design

How can we evaluate basic design configurations before metric parameters are set? When we brainstorm solutions for a problem, engineers ideate many candidate designs. How many wings should my aircraft have? Do I power this actuator with an electric motor or pressurized fluid? Engineers come up with solutions that promote a diverse pool of candidate designs to better ensure that effective, novel configurations are not missed in the design space. They then narrow the design pool to a few good candidates as best as they can without experimentation. But how do we systematically describe this process and can AI replicate or do it better than humans?