Where it assists and where it must not.
WHERE IT HELPS
Explaining principles and standards Drafting documentation and reports Summarising specifications Generating design options to evaluate Code and script writing, reviewed Administrative work
WHERE IT MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON
Calculations Structural or safety determinations Compliance with codes and standards Anything a person's safety depends on
THE CALCULATION WARNING
Language models perform calculations unreliably and present results confidently.
An engineering calculation must be performed by proper means and checked.
THE STANDARDS PROBLEM
Models produce confident statements about code requirements that may be wrong, outdated, or from another jurisdiction.
Consult the actual standard.
WHAT PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY MEANS HERE
The engineer signs. The engineer is accountable.
No tool shares that.
WHERE THE GENUINE BENEFIT IS
Documentation, reporting, communication and administration, which consume substantial engineering time.
WHAT TO ASK OF ANY ENGINEERING AI TOOL
What it was validated against, and what its limits are.
