‘Mind of the Engineer’ survey: A reality check on where EEs stand on AI

Are you an engineer contemplating your next “skillset” move in the AI era? If so, the ‘Mind of the Engineer’ survey is for you. The survey delves into multiple engineering disciplines, the latest technology trends, and emerging design skillsets to formulate empirical observations about where today’s engineering landscape is heading and how engineers should prepare for this AI-powered paradigm shift.

More importantly, this survey touches a hot nerve: AI’s potential to eliminate engineering jobs. Will AI fundamentally change what it means to be an engineer in the next five years? And do engineers trust AI-generated outputs, and do these outputs reflect biases in training data?

The survey also tests grounds for young engineers, where AI and machine learning (ML) skills are hot favorites. Will these disciplines take over computer science and engineering? Should engineers go for self-study efforts through books, papers, blogs, and YouTube videos, or should they opt for education courses or certificates with Coursera, edX, Udemy, and IEEE?

The survey also attempts to gauge where engineers stand in terms of effectively using AI tools in electronics design and manufacturing processes. That includes agentic AI, formal AI, AI certifications, LLMs, and AI-assisted EDA tools. Also, how comfortable engineers are in AI/ML model development and deployment.

The survey also digs deeper into how engineers are using chatbots/assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot Chat. Then there are AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Tabnine. The survey attempts to establish where these tools stand in an engineer’s day-to-day work and what the actual productivity gains are.

That brings us to a sensitive and crucial issue: Will AI tools eliminate more engineering jobs than they create? Are AI tools making engineers significantly more productive overall? Will AI fundamentally change what it means to be an engineer in the coming years?

However, the survey isn’t all about AI; cybersecurity and quantum computing are presented as pressing issues on many engineers’ minds. For instance, where does quantum computing stand in its deployment timeline? And how aware engineers are in terms of quantum-safe products and post-quantum cryptography.

Next, the survey covers quickly emerging technologies such as chiplets and advanced packaging. Likewise, power electronics stars—silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN)—are also there. Not to be discounted, edge AI, a rapidly emerging offshoot of AI technology, is there as well.

AspenCore, publisher of EDN, is conducting the “Voice of the Engineer” survey. Once you complete this survey, you will become eligible to be randomly selected as one of 10 respondents to receive an Amazon.com Gift Card valued at USD 100 (or local equivalent). Results of this survey will be announced at a major industry event with a fanfare. They will also be posted on EE Times, EDN’s sister publication.

Participate in the survey and be part of this timely engineering conversation about the future of AI and the electronics industry at large.

‘Mind of the Engineer’ survey: A reality check on where EEs stand on AI

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