Page 23 - CEA-Alberta-Innovators-2024

IF YOU USE THE INTERNET AT ALL, you might be starting to ask yourself... is AI everywhere? From virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to how content is displayed to users on social media platforms ... it can feel like AI is all around. And that feeling is only going to grow — two months after its launch, ChatGPT broke records, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history based on data from analytics firm Similarweb.
“Right now, if you look at AI adoption across North America, in the US about 14 per cent of companies are actively using AI. In Canada, we are at 4 per cent,” says Cam Linke, CEO with Amii, a global leader in machine learning and AI. Amii bridges research and industry, helping businesses tap into the potential benefits of cutting-edge AI developments.
“The challenge right now is that when you’re going through such a pace of change around technology that we’re going through in AI, you end up in a position where the companies that invest early gain an almost insurmountable lead. Even when it’s just little steps early
”MICHAEL JACKSON
on, those compound really quickly.”
The advent of AI-generated chatbots like ChatGPT
impacts how engineers are educated, how the industry brands itself and how to fill knowledge gaps in a pinch, states Derek Ciezki, partner with SMP Engineering.
“I know the universities are talking about it to engineering students and saying it's a tool, but be careful what you're using it for,” he says. “The industry is starting to use it for marketing, and it's a good research tool. It's something that I think a lot of firms are starting to look at implementing more into their day-to-day,” he says.
Michael Jackson, Vice President, Mechanical & Electrical West, WSP Canada, calls recent advances in AI technologies “exciting” and says they are improving competitiveness in the marketplace. He
sees challenges and opportunities on the horizon, especially regarding chatbots.
“Most organizations are trying to become more efficient and to use the latest technology. As consulting engineers, we do a lot of writing for proposals and reports. It’s become more apparent through 2023 that tools like ChatGPT are powerful,” he says.
Jackson expresses a common concern: that an
AI bot cannot easily generate the creative content that sets engineering proposals apart, but he acknowledges consulting firms may need to pay more attention to the technology.
“There will be some hard lessons learned along the way — people trying to use it without understanding the output. Ultimately, I think the industry has to embrace it and be on the leading edge of it if they want to stay relevant in the marketplace,” he says, with a hint of caution.
“There’s risk when things come to market
quickly. Engineering is always conservative — we protect public safety and the environment and follow strict codes and guidelines,” he says. That culture has to be balanced against market pressures to determine “what transformation looks like, what the next thing is, and being at risk of getting left behind really quick.” But at every turn, quality and safety must remain top priorities.
“It’s not like we're developing a game where if
a few bugs show up, you push out a new version. We're designing major public infrastructure. It can’t fall down.”
Scott Argent, Vice President, Regional Leader, Prairies & Territories with Stantec, states that Stantec’s 3-year strategic plan focuses significantly on how AI will change how consulting engineers
CONSULTING ENGINEERS OF ALBERTA 23
AS CONSULTING ENGINEERS, WE DO A LOT OF WRITING
FOR PROPOSALS AND REPORTS. IT’S BECOME MORE APPARENT THROUGH 2023 THAT TOOLS LIKE CHATGPT
ARE POWERFUL
”