In today’s increasingly digital world, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key driver across all sectors of society and is expected to continue to influence the future of all industries. In engineering, in particular, AI is revolutionizing the way products and systems are designed, not only challenging long-established engineering practices, but also prompting in-depth discussions about the capabilities and limitations of AI tools themselves.

0090-04405 Design News recently hosted a webinar titled “How AI Can Support Engineering,” which included excellent presentations from Yoav Zingher, CEO of Launchpad Build, and Dale Tutt, vice president of industry strategy at Siemens Digital Industrial Software.

During the seminar, Tutt elaborated on Siemens’ long-standing digital-based strategy, which covers all aspects of business operations, including model-based systems engineering, validation management, product design and engineering, intelligent manufacturing and product support program management. Tutt believes that AI is not only a tool to optimize and expand Siemens’ digital strategy, but also to efficiently configure and connect business processes to further generate and optimize operational behavior.

Siemens is using generative AI tools to build and scale low-code applications with a low-code application development platform called Mendix. This integrated approach enables Siemens’ digital software to leverage advanced generative AI algorithms to increase efficiency and innovation.

Launchpad, on the other hand, has developed a suite of automation solutions that leverage AI for simulation and workflow design, with robots performing automated processes. The company’s AI platform can identify and assemble various components, automatically provide manufacturing design recommendations, quickly quote and procure parts, and finally code robots to complete assembly tasks.

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0090-04405 Zingher detailed how the Launchpad system works, which learns all the steps through AI and machine vision. This system does not require traditional programming, can automatically generate a variety of configurations, extremely flexible, adaptable to mass customization needs. In addition, Launchpad systems take an on-demand manufacturing approach, providing an interactive, real-time design-driven pricing mechanism.

During the Q&A session, the topic of how to trust AI-generated solutions became a hot topic. Zingher points out that training AI to mimic the way humans think in specific situations is a challenge. For example, in the case of missing screws, human engineers can react quickly, while AI may overlook such details, he said.

Tutt said that integrating AI into everyday engineering practices is a challenge, and he acknowledged that people have reservations about fully adopting AI solutions. However, he believes that solutions based on physical principles, coupled with appropriate AI inputs, may make engineers more willing to embrace AI technology.

Another important topic in the discussion was the potential impact of AI on engineering careers. Tutt believes that AI can enhance existing solutions and free engineers from tedious administrative or repetitive tasks, allowing them to do more creative work. He stressed that AI has the potential to spark innovation in the engineering sector by automating workflows and alleviating the shortage of engineers.

Looking back on the introduction of computer-aided design (CAD) tools years ago, Tutt noted that companies are often the first mover in the introduction of new tools and stressed the importance of engineers taking the initiative to learn new tools. Zingher agrees with Tutt that AI can significantly improve engineering productivity. While some manual labor and mechanical tasks may be replaced by AI, Zingher encourages engineers to learn AI tools to stay on the cutting edge.

In addition, Zingher mentioned that labor unions and other regulators should be open to the increased use of AI, given the general shortage of skilled workers and engineers. He also stressed that companies should reward employees who master these tools, as this will help positively impact the company’s economic performance.