Workers everywhere feel like they are under attack. They wonder if their livelihoods will be at risk with AI programs like ChatGPT becoming more prominent. But amidst the fear Matthew Aladesaye says that people have high hopes about what this new technology can offer. The wake of ChatGPT has also increased awareness about what AI has done, and is still doing, for people everywhere.

To understand what AI currently does for the world, how it works, the following article should answer the various questions regarding these engineering feats, and why AI engineers can expect a lot of work soon.

Artificial Intelligence

According to John McCarthy (via IBM), artificial intelligence (AI) is “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs.” AI uses programs to solve problems that could take a human weeks, if not years, to do by themselves. These problems include filtering through data, performing complex equations, and more.

How Do We Use AI

People use AI every day without worrying about it threatening their livelihoods. One of the most common uses of AI is for predictive text or autocorrect. The occasional misuse words in texts is an example of the robot making a mistake.

Other common uses of AI include:

• Product recommendations
• Google Search recommendations
• Self-driving cars
• Spam filters
• Facial recognition
• Virtual assistants
• Eldercare
• Stock exchanges
• Job applications

There are more uses than the ones listed above. AI has had more impact on people’s daily lives than many realize.

How Does AI “Learn”

AI usually uses algorithms, or formulae for processing data, to learn. It does this by looking at hundreds of samples. If, for example, we wanted to teach artificial intelligence to recognize an image of a bee, the engineer would expose the AI to thousands of images of bees. The programs that performed the best would yield new, improved programs, and so on.

This is where AI engineers come in. Their job is to train artificial intelligence on whatever that singular task is. This is easier said than done. The process may start simple, but this training gets so complicated that even the programmer may have trouble explaining how an AI arrives at a certain answer. This is called the “Black Box Problem.”

AI engineers are currently looking into the Black Box Problem. For now, know that if an AI gets something wrong, it is up to a human being to train it differently.

What Does This Mean for the Future

There has been a lot of discourse around advanced AI that can drive cars, take food orders, and write college papers. It is easy to think that there will be a robot to handle any job in the future. While this may be the case centuries from now, as things stand, AI serves as a supplement to most people’s jobs, not a replacement.

An AI is only as good as its inputs. If an AI is trained to detect cancerous tissue, for example, it may also detect the ruler in the photos. For that reason, many jobs are safe from AI domination.

Conclusion

Although the emergence of ChatGPT and AI art generators has creators sweating, many other uses of AI are more harmless. Even if some jobs get lost to AI, many more will use it to make the tedious parts of their jobs easier. Most workers are not in danger of being replaced…yet.

As an experienced mechanical engineer, Matthew Aladesaye is frequently asked questions by perspective professionals such as the qualities of successful individuals within the field. Matthew mentions that, while there are dozens of traits that can set a professional up for continued success and expanded opportunities, he speaks to how there are a few that go the furthest for setting them apart from competition within the space.

Here, Matthew Aladesaye explores a few of the most commonly cited characteristics of successful, qualified mechanical engineers.

Practical Knowledge

To be an effective mechanical engineer, an individual will need to know how to apply first principles to solve real-world problems. Matthew Aladesaye speaks to how knowing how to apply knowledge is as important as the knowledge itself in the field, and mechanical engineers develop these skills over years of experience. One interesting aspect of practical knowledge is that it heavily depends on the area in which an engineer specializes. For example, structural analysts will need to learn how to consider the effects of certain factors such as material properties, the environment, loading conditions, and geometry as well as how all of these factors contribute to structural integrity.

Creativity

Creativity is crucial for mechanical engineers for a variety of reasons. Mechanical engineers need to be resourceful and perceptive when faced with obstacles to their work and leverage their creativity to discover flaws in mechanics’ design, mechanisms, and materials. Creativity is a necessity in near every stage of a mechanical engineer’s duties whether it be drafting dimensions, developing a timeline for finishing projects, creating CAD-based blueprints, converting designs into working drawings, etc. Creativity is also an essential aspect of problem solving, as many mechanical engineers focus on area such as helping mechanical or thermal devices operate better and more efficiently.

Curiosity

Mechanical engineers are inherently interested in learning more about how things work, which is important for fueling their desire to constantly build on their acumen and knowledge. Matthew Aladesaye maintains that mechanical engineers are usually lifelong learners who strive to improve themselves and their knowledgebases to bring innovative results to their organizations and fields. Curiosity is also crucial for mechanical engineers due to the speed in which developments and advancements are made in technology and best practices. The most successful mechanical engineers not only keep up with updates to remain plugged into their field, they want to closely follow and contribute to changes as they occur to develop the best solutions possible in their line of work as well.

Attention to Detail

In some fields, small details may not have a profound impact on a project and its efficiency, however, mechanical engineering is not one of them. Since the efficiency and operation of a mechanical part can be drastically effected by even minute details, successful mechanical engineers need to be able to pay attention to even the smallest factors or risk ruining an entire project. Matthew Aladesaye upholds that attention to detail is one of the most critical traits of a great mechanical engineer as mistakes can cost a great deal of money and even have fatal consequences. For this reason, mechanical engineers that are able to take notice of even the smallest details in their work and minimize critical mistakes are extremely sought after and typically see continued success in the field.

Communication Skills

Mechanical engineers are also part of larger teams when working on their projects. Matthew Aladesaye adds that communication is important for any great mechanical engineer because it ensures that teams are able to build upon each other’s insights and work in tandem with one another. The most successful mechanical engineers are skilled at communicating effectively with their team members to overcome challenges, spur conversation, conduct testing, and ensure that projects are completed within proper timelines. It is important to remember that some mechanical engineers may need to communicate with individuals outside of their teams that to not hold the same education or expertise, meaning that they need to know how to convey important information in ways that can be understood and logged by those with different skillsets.

Team Focused Attitude

The collaborative nature of most mechanical engineering environments means that professionals must be team players who can work effectively with others. Mechanical engineers should be able to work well with a diverse range of people holding different personalities, specialties, and perspectives. Matthew Aladesaye mentions that it is important for mechanical engineers to remember that they may need to work with people who are not engineers as a function of their job duties whether they be contractors, computer scientists, or architects. Having a team focused attitude and prioritizing the best collaboration possible will not only help an individual reach for the stars in their professional careers, but it will also play a key role in ensuring that the best products possible are designed and created on behalf of their organizations.

Willingness to Learn

No one enters their career path with all of the skills necessary to succeed. To this end, a willingness to continue learning is extremely valuable for any mechanical engineer who wants to reach the upper echelons of the field. Simply put, organizations want engineers who are interesting in learning because it is a critical component of the job. Successful mechanical engineers will need to learn and relearn information on best practices, practical application of knowledge, etc. as a function of their work and cannot be held back by believing they know all there is to know about the field.