Application of generative AI technologies to engineering design

Abstract

This paper explores the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the engineering design domain. Two experiments were designed for examining the abilities of diverse generative AI platforms in engineering design applications. The first experiment tested the AI models’ abilities to interpret design briefs, perform arithmetic calculations, and finally to provide instructions to design a part in two separate computer-aided design (CAD) platforms, thus gaining an insight into their perception of the functionality of the CAD platforms. The second experiment required the AI tools to design a headphone holder stand from scratch, further assessing their capabilities in CAD, but also their abilities in product design. The experiments found that these technologies show great potential in the area of engineering design. While they are not yet near the level of a human engineer, they currently exhibit capabilities that may be useful in product concept generation and design processes.