At first glance, the title may seem geeky and perhaps an imitation of Einstein’s famous equation, but it’s intentionally crafted to spark curiosity. The idea behind it is simple yet profound: Engineering Future (EF) will be powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), but only when guided and operated by Organic Intelligence (OI) – that is, human intelligence. The equation emphasizes that AI becomes truly valuable only when coupled with a trained human mind. Humans must remain the dominant force in shaping a sustainable, value-driven engineering future.
This piece reflects my own experience as an engineering professor navigating the evolving role of AI in academia. I am a firm believer in technology and wholeheartedly welcome innovations that simplify and enrich our work and lives. Yet, I have observed a worrying trend in my classrooms and research projects – students increasingly use AI as a shortcut rather than a learning companion. This phenomenon extends far beyond my immediate academic environment; it’s becoming a global behavioral shift among younger generations.
AI’s Ubiquity and Its Double-Edged Nature
The influence of AI now spans nearly every dimension of human activity, none more so than education. Today, anyone, regardless of age, can access a virtual assistant capable of producing instant answers. While this accessibility is revolutionary, it also comes with a cautionary truth: not all AI-generated responses are real, relevant, or accurate.
AI is only as reliable as the data that feeds it. It excels at processing vast datasets, identifying correlations, and generating predictions far faster than humans ever could. However, it lacks the essential human capacities of understanding, wisdom, and creativity—the very attributes that transform raw information into meaningful knowledge. This is where Organic Intelligence must prevail. If we fail to nurture the human thought process, we risk a collective intellectual decline—a slow erosion of curiosity and critical thinking. Many young learners now rely on AI to deliver answers rather than engaging with problems themselves. The result is convenience at the expense of cognitive growth.
AI should therefore be embraced not as a replacement for learning, but as an accelerator of it. When used wisely, it augments our ability to handle complex information, enhances our creativity, and sharpens our judgment. The key lies in coupling AI’s computational power with the human capacity for context, reflection, and innovation.
AI in Engineering: Friend, Not Master
Engineering exists to solve human problems and improve quality of life. Throughout history, engineers have leveraged tools to enhance their efficiency, safety, and precision. AI, then, is simply the latest, and perhaps most powerful tool in that tradition. With AI, tasks that once required weeks can now be completed in hours or even minutes. AI has already revolutionized how engineers design, simulate, and optimize systems, offering insights derived from massive datasets. Yet amid this excitement, one truth must remain clear: AI is not intelligent in the human sense. It can calculate, correlate, and predict, but it cannot understand. Therefore, engineers must learn to treat AI as a capable assistant, not an autonomous decision-maker. They must be trained to critically evaluate AI outputs, discerning what works and what doesn’t. Engineering education must emphasize that there are no shortcuts to mastering the fundamentals. AI can help automate data collection and repetitive analyses, freeing up time for engineers to focus on creativity, learning, and problem-solving—but it must never replace the human pursuit of understanding.
Sustaining the Cycle of Intelligence
AI’s current power stems from decades of human-generated data. Its apparent superiority depends entirely on the quality and integrity of human input. If organic intelligence weakens, so too will AI’s effectiveness—setting off a dangerous self-destructing feedback loop. As the old saying goes “garbage in, garbage out” has never been more relevant. This concern is especially critical in engineering, where errors propagate through the systems that shape our physical world. The next generation of engineers must not grow dependent on AI at the expense of their curiosity, creativity, and wisdom.
I often remind myself and my students, that AI is like having a tireless research assistant who never complains. But even the most efficient assistant needs supervision. Blind trust in AI is not intelligence, but critical engagement is. By coupling AI with disciplined human thought, by multiplying our Organic Intelligence, we can truly unlock the Engineering Future.
Professor Dr. Srithar A/L Rajoo is the Director of the Institute for Sustainable Transport (IST) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering with over two decades of expertise in low-carbon transport and energy innovation. A PhD graduate of Imperial College London, he has maintained a 17-year association as a visiting academic with the institution. Since 2014, he has spearheaded UTM’s international collaborations with Imperial and strengthened research partnerships with leading institutions in Singapore, Japan, Germany, and Finland. Under his leadership, IST was officially designated in January 2025 as Malaysia’s national institute for transport and mobility research, driving advancements in hydrogen internal combustion engine technologies to achieve Net Zero targets.
Source: UTM NewsHub