Primer: how to leverage AI if you're an engineer or engineering student
人工智能正成为技术发展的重要里程碑，工程学及其他大学课程已开始将其纳入教学。工程师和工程专业的学生应积极学习和利用人工智能，否则将面临落后的风险。在使用AI辅助学习或项目时，关键在于将其作为验证工作和辅导的工具，而非直接替代人工。AI模型可能出现“幻觉”，因此需警惕其自信却错误的回答，并可利用不同AI模型进行交叉验证。…
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Front Matter
The world is moving toward AI and nothing is stopping it. Learn it or fall behind. Engineering programs, in fact all college programs likely, are beginning to incorporate AI. For example CSULB (my former university) and LAHC (my former transfer college) have courses specifically designed for effectively leveraging AI or programming with/for it. I view AI as the next major milestone in technology: steam engine, electricity, landlines, radio and television, automobiles, automation, computers, Internet, autonomous devices and vehicles, wide AI accessibility. Whatever comes next will be based on AI.
Introduction
First let me answer one burning question: is it okay to use AI for homework or other projects? Absolutely!!! But do not use AI to do the work for you. And most importantly understand that all AI models can be prone to confident yet wrong answers (hallucinations). If a response doesn't appear rational reword prompt and send it again. Also use AI to check other AI models.
Six Styles
The most valid use of AI is to validate your work and as a tutor. If stuck on a problem or concept, instruct AI to explain it to you using various styles as needed:
- Textbook - a variation of this tends to be the default style and it usually takes you where you want to go.
- Softer Language - like a lower education level (i.e. explain it to me like I'm 5) then ramp up from there.
- Symbolism - explaining core ideas with metaphors or analogies (my favorite approach). This helps to strip away all the noise to get down to first principles.
- Steps - instruct AI to create an outline of simple steps.
- Flowchart - have AI create a flowchart of steps.
- Complete Solutions - it is also valid to have AI generate complete solutions but only after all other attempts have been exhausted. If you reach this stage do not let it become a black box. This is a very tempting single source of failure. Make certain you own it by going through each line with AI until you can defend every step . Remember, make it yours, because you will be tested on it.
If you're thinking you can rely on point 6 by obfuscating your work to bypass AI sniffers by going through it line by line to replace words or phrases or style, that is still studying albeit at a lower level. I wish to stress that the only way to prove you learned the material is to be capable of defending it. That is what exams are for. There may be other creative ways to use AI but the prior 6 are likely the most common.
Transparency
If you do use AI always disclose it by showing which model was used and how. For example:
All ideas in this Reddit post are my own, 100% of it. The outline and order is also my own. I validated the entire stack with Google Gemini for proper grammar and truth. I own it.