Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 17:03     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anonymous wrote:AI doesn't even understand physics. See this
https://www.thealgorithmicbridge.com/p/harvard-and-mit-study-ai-models-are

It gets the physics completely wrong but gets the orbits right -- but people did that too in the distant past before they figured out Newtonian mechanics (epicycles). AI (or at least the current version of deep networks) optimize for prediction and matching, not concept abstraction. I keep on top of this research for my work, and AI is too far away from this. The situation is far worse in biology.

And before someone jumps in to say that it's only a matter of time, hardly anyone (in academic research or at companies) is optimizing for this. AI firms have bet on AGI, but most of those designs are just beefed up transformers -- which are powerful but have serious limitations.


It's only a matter of time before someone decides you're too expensive and decides to focus the AI on your job. It doesn't need to understand the full physics—you have all types of computer programs that don't "understand" the physics but are fantastic tools for design work. AI will piece them together and make them more useful. And it learns. So what it doesn't get today, will be "understood" in 6-12 months.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:53     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anonymous wrote:AI doesn't even understand physics. See this
https://www.thealgorithmicbridge.com/p/harvard-and-mit-study-ai-models-are

It gets the physics completely wrong but gets the orbits right -- but people did that too in the distant past before they figured out Newtonian mechanics (epicycles). AI (or at least the current version of deep networks) optimize for prediction and matching, not concept abstraction. I keep on top of this research for my work, and AI is too far away from this. The situation is far worse in biology.

And before someone jumps in to say that it's only a matter of time, hardly anyone (in academic research or at companies) is optimizing for this. AI firms have bet on AGI, but most of those designs are just beefed up transformers -- which are powerful but have serious limitations.


money in this area moves in pacts - it's like a swarm on bees. just because nobody is doing this he means nothing except that there's a white space in the market
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:52     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
It will never replace engineering as long as regular people think it is just “engineering”. There are at least 15 different fields under that umbrella.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:52     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anonymous wrote:AI doesn't even understand physics. See this
https://www.thealgorithmicbridge.com/p/harvard-and-mit-study-ai-models-are

It gets the physics completely wrong but gets the orbits right -- but people did that too in the distant past before they figured out Newtonian mechanics (epicycles). AI (or at least the current version of deep networks) optimize for prediction and matching, not concept abstraction. I keep on top of this research for my work, and AI is too far away from this. The situation is far worse in biology.

And before someone jumps in to say that it's only a matter of time, hardly anyone (in academic research or at companies) is optimizing for this. AI firms have bet on AGI, but most of those designs are just beefed up transformers -- which are powerful but have serious limitations.


give it 18 more months.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:51     Subject: Re:why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anonymous wrote:I’m an engineer. AI can’t do what I do, i.e., creative thought.


I could make a case that lawyers are more creative within the prescribed rules than engineering. And AI will wipe out half the jobs in law - while making good legal representation more accessible
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:45     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
AI will certainly replace some engineering work. But AI can't sign off on plans, someone has to take responsibility to review and approve etc etc. and if you don't have entry level engineers then you won't have mid level or senior engineers either.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:43     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anonymous wrote:AI doesn't even understand physics. See this
https://www.thealgorithmicbridge.com/p/harvard-and-mit-study-ai-models-are

It gets the physics completely wrong but gets the orbits right -- but people did that too in the distant past before they figured out Newtonian mechanics (epicycles). AI (or at least the current version of deep networks) optimize for prediction and matching, not concept abstraction. I keep on top of this research for my work, and AI is too far away from this. The situation is far worse in biology.

And before someone jumps in to say that it's only a matter of time, hardly anyone (in academic research or at companies) is optimizing for this. AI firms have bet on AGI, but most of those designs are just beefed up transformers -- which are powerful but have serious limitations.

All correct. But not ALL AI firms are following this path.
All it takes is one to hit it.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:39     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
AI doesn't even understand physics. See this
https://www.thealgorithmicbridge.com/p/harvard-and-mit-study-ai-models-are

It gets the physics completely wrong but gets the orbits right -- but people did that too in the distant past before they figured out Newtonian mechanics (epicycles). AI (or at least the current version of deep networks) optimize for prediction and matching, not concept abstraction. I keep on top of this research for my work, and AI is too far away from this. The situation is far worse in biology.

And before someone jumps in to say that it's only a matter of time, hardly anyone (in academic research or at companies) is optimizing for this. AI firms have bet on AGI, but most of those designs are just beefed up transformers -- which are powerful but have serious limitations.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:32     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anonymous wrote:there's a steady drumbeat of "AI will replace coders" and "AI will replace lawyers"

and yet everyone is still pushing their kids into engineering. I dont get it. engineering seems as/more vulnerable to me.


Engineers have to take into account human behavior as well as physics. AI just doesn’t understand human behavior.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:30     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anyone who truly knows how AI works is laughing at people who blindly run towards using it for all the things.

Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:26     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Somebody needs to tell AI what to do. And set up the AI to tackle problems. And mesh its results with the physical world, etc. etc.

Humans can even be cheaper than AI.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:25     Subject: Re:why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Anonymous wrote:I’m an engineer. AI can’t do what I do, i.e., creative thought.


Yeah, you can stay for the creative thought—for now—and it can do the rest. You might keep your job, but all the entry level people won't. Same with architecture, but even that is going to go when you can eventually tell an AI, design me a classic new england saltbox for this plot of land—it will visualize it and then do the schematics in a few seconds.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:24     Subject: Re:why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
I’m an engineer. AI can’t do what I do, i.e., creative thought.
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:20     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
Accounting too. Everyone is saying that an accounting degree will guarantee a job, but it seems to me that accounting in a prime candidate for AI
Anonymous
Post 07/18/2025 16:17     Subject: why wouldnt AI replace engineering?
there's a steady drumbeat of "AI will replace coders" and "AI will replace lawyers"

and yet everyone is still pushing their kids into engineering. I dont get it. engineering seems as/more vulnerable to me.