AI for Engineers

“This is a course I funded myself as I have wanted to explore AI for a long time. I wanted real detail, and this course offered that.

“AI is going to have such an impact in all industries. For the engineering sector, I think there are concerns about what’s going to happen to companies’ intellectual property and their data, and about a loss of competitive edge. I understand that. It’s not surprising there’s some resistance to AI out there.

“At Van Oord, though we value operational experience, we aim to use digital data to make decisions. Digitalisation means there is a lot of data generated. I wanted to explore how we could use AI to ask better questions and so get better answers. I know the data is there and that the solutions can be explored using AI tools. What I wanted to know, as much as any technical aspect, was how to effectively communicate the benefits and risks of AI to stakeholders.”

“It was a two-day course held at the IMechE HQ building in London. I love going there. I have had other training from the IMechE and always enjoyed it – I felt assured that the quality and experience would be there. I decided to go with an open mind, not get bogged down in the detail, and just allow myself to be immersed in the topic.

“Ali Parandeh, the course leader, was very open and explained that there is a lot of information out there – and it’s changing all the time. We would never be able to cover everything. But he did ensure there were open and interactive discussions in a very relaxed atmosphere. It’s an overused word, but the course was fun.

“There were 10 or so delegates from very different sectors – pharmaceutical, space technology, manufacturing and energy – and at different levels of authority and seniority. The subject areas we discussed were very wide ranging. They went from stakeholder management to putting satellites into orbit. Everyone was there to learn and that’s not always the case on courses I have taken.

“There are a lot of different AI tools out there – Ali would fire them up and show them in action. We went through a practical example of using generative AI to design a dream house. The trainer led us through the process, while he input the prompts or questions we suggested. It allowed us time to have our thoughts. It was a good decision – I think we would have got lost if we were doing it ourselves.

“That process demonstrated how important it is to explore the prompt you ask the AI. Getting the prompt right is key – if you change one parameter or phrase the question differently, you’ll get a different answer. Essentially, you are trying to work towards the right question. It’s a different way of thinking.”

1 “The expert guidance and the enthusiasm of the course leader makes a really engaging couple of days.”

2 “It’s a more general course than one about, say, types of pumps, so you meet fellow engineers from different sectors. I found hearing about their experiences insightful.”

3 “There is a lot of information to get through, but the course leader fits it together really well. You won’t feel lost, as there’s a narrative to help you navigate the two days. That’s quite an achievement in such a massive field as AI.”

“I came away with a real sense of things being possible – that I could explore, without referring to a book. I felt empowered, which is a word I use sparingly. I went to the course knowing a lot of things were possible, but I still had moments where I discovered there was a new use for AI I hadn’t considered previously.

“For example, our vessels are very active and collect a lot of data, and the instructor was able to draw on his own experience of working with complex data to demonstrate how AI could potentially help. Having the reassurance that I was on the right track and that this could be viable and valuable to our company was really useful. I felt I had a way forward.”

1 “Aim to come with as many of your own real-world problems as you can and see if AI can fix them or be used to fix them.”

2 “You’ll benefit from completing the pre-course work. It will give you a better understanding of AI and you’ll get a lot more out of the course. For example, there was a very good video on neural networks that explained a lot.”

3 “Be open to new ideas and what AI could help you achieve. There is so much potential.”

“The field is changing so quickly. That can make AI a difficult sell inside a company – why invest when everything is changing all the time? However, there are advocates here and when we meet, we talk about it. There is a vibrant development community of enthusiasts, backed up by overarching governance and the technology infrastructure support to enable our AI initiatives. 

“As I funded the course myself, the return on investment is a personal thing. The ideas are bubbling away, and I know there will be opportunities. I can now look at my job from a different perspective and think, ‘Can I do this smart using AI?’ It’s brought a lot more job satisfaction and will be quite a differentiator, I think.”