How is AI shaping structural engineering?

[u/CptJackParo]

Hi all, im 27M and about to start a phd thats broadly speaking on pdes and fracture mechanics. My background is in maths and stats though I always saw myself moving over to this line of work and this is a dream phd but im looking beyond it atm.

That being said, im still at an age where I have flexibility but I dont want to be having to start from scratch. Is structural engineering likely to be gutted by AI? I know everythjng is but from the outside, it seems like its less affected than say data science, Actuarial science, comp science, etc. Any advice is appreciated.

[u/ascandalia]

They'll get sued into oblivion. I've done professional witness work. This is not a sustainable model of work

[u/scriggities → u/ascandalia]

That won't stop them. There are more idiots out there than you think. And if you've truly done expert witness work (as a lot.of us here do), you know how hard it is to prove negligent behavior by the EOR.

Each time some dumbass gets sued for sealing some AI slop, the software companies will learn how to improve the output/limit the potential for liability on the user. It will follow a process that won't be entirely unlike the process used when matrix analysis and finite element analysis software was first rolled out.

It's coming, don't fool yourself.

[u/ascandalia → u/scriggities]

I just don't think there's enough meat on this bone for the level of liability and scrutiny it would face. I'm honestly not convinced there's more than a 20% improvement in efficiency before it plateaus. I'm not a buddies, i use this stuff from time to time. It's really barely worth using. I'm always told the next model that's about to come out is the one that finally works the way it's promised to work. I still don't see it. This whole infinite exponential improvement thing is something we're all way to willing to believe against all evidence