A Case for Culture and the Arts in Engineering Curriculum as a Response to Advanced Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Recent improvements in advanced artificial intelligence (AI), including large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, and the subsequent release of these models into the public domain have instantly provided the public with technical capabilities that previously required years of engineering education to acquire. The ability of these models to perform technical tasks such as writing MATLAB code and generating corresponding technical reports challenge these and other components of a traditional engineering education with obsolescence. However, these models are inherently limited, primarily in their ability to evaluate and create, which are strictly human capabilities. The traditional focus of higher engineering education, to create what we’ve termed Human Calculators (HCs), should adapt to develop instead what we’ve termed Advanced Engineer (AEs) by embracing AI and elevating the importance of their humanity, namely through the integration of culture and the arts into the engineering curriculum.