In water resources engineering where engineers work in flood controls and water management (hydrology and hydraulics), where I used to be a trainee, engineers used softwares such as ArcGIS, Google Earth, HECRAS, HECHMS, CAD, Microsoft Excel, etc. Softwares mentioned are helpful to make things done, however, engineers still need to do site visit, and buy a data from a local government (available data for the project like terrain, surveying, or whatever it is), review the history of the study area (past natural disasters occurs), make actual computation after a computed data of AI, and used AI to process the work and help engineers analyze the problem, and see the results of the AI softwares. In conclusion, which AI is very useful, but still needs human expertise to make the problem solving, analyze, give descriptive recommendations, etc. However, I guess some AI in manufacturing, clerk, queueing, are no need for a human effort. And for some engineering treatments AI takes place to make things done (same goes with the technologies used in medical health). With that said, in the future AI have a high possibility to takes place humans. It's amazing the AI is studied, precisely measured, and revised many times to work perfectly, the technologies we've been using is inevitable helpful in many ways.
While in "...ways you think AI will develop in the future that will help our profession." That's a human effort to make a brainstorm and only humans can do. Indeed, we are very powerful, and hope it takes account and responsible for making AI for the future. Below I listed things that I think need an AI:
• Image Processing of design structures, automatic give substructure/ superstructures design like columns, beams/ girders, wall footings, column footings, footings, slabs, trusses, roof trusses etc. With its details, and visual data.
Due to some structure failures, maybe AI can be a solution.
• Surveying of terrain using google earth only.
During pandemic/ weather phenomenon, site visits are limited for projects, and using google earth is useful to make alternative to observed project locations.
• AI communicates report and analysis.
Final reports can be overwhelming and long. What ifs sudden sickness of the engineer occurs, this will help explain the report/ gist of the results of studies.
• AI to sensor weakness and strengths of the foundation/ soil/ underwater soil/ weather conditions of project study area.
Very ambitious but nothing is impossible with science, it can helps prevents a lot of construction failures.
•AI to read image processing, softwares activities, final reports, and questions its weakness and strengths of the results.
Construction failures happens when engineers tends to have a blind spot to some details. If AI can only detects those errors, it can save time and cost.
• AI robots to make the study area process alone.
This is very lazy but I guess very possible, imagine inputing project locations, and data, then the softwares will do alone the work by simply clicking one command.
Disclaimer: Some mentioned is I don't know if it's already existing, and I just get some ideas with internet article " Top 6 Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering." Who knows if this really possible, but human expertise can only brainstorm to continues discovery, and innovation.
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Llala Chrishaye Ocampo Aff.M.ASCE
Student
City of General Trias Cavite
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-30-2022 09:43 PM
From: Nicolai Oliden
Subject: How do you think AI will impact (positively) our engineering work?
I recently had a discussion about AI and how new software and technology is impacting our design and workflows. Since then, I've seen more examples of how AI can improve and simplify our work such as automating pipe profiles or parking lot layouts. We could have an entire discussion on whether you think AI will take over our jobs but I'm mostly interested to hear from people on ways you are already adopting AI in your work and ways you think AI will develop in the future that will help our profession.
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Nicolai Oliden P.E., M.ASCE
Roadway Team Leader
ETHOS Engineers
Tempe AZ
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