Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already reshaping how we live and work, and education is no exception. From personalised learning and intelligent tutoring systems to administrative efficiencies and new forms of assessment, AI has the potential to transform every corner of the education sector. For the engineering profession in particular, understanding and responsibly embracing this transformation is essential to prepare the next generation of professionals.
The Engineering Council has been actively exploring these developments through its Artificial Intelligence Working Group (AI Working Group), which brought together experts from across the sector, including the Science Council, Society for the Environment, and Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs). The group examined the implications of AI for recognised (approved and accredited) education programmes and professional registration, drawing on insights gathered through surveys of students, higher education institutions (HEIs), and professional engineering institutions (PEIs).
You can read the close-out report and recommendations on our website.
AI as a tool, not just a threat
One of the key messages from the AI Working Group’s findings is that AI should be embraced as a positive opportunity, not simply managed as a risk. The group made twenty recommendations, many of which centre on the ethical, inclusive, and effective use of AI in education and professional development.
They advocated that:
- The appropriate use of AI by both students and education providers should be welcomed
- While risks must be recognised, including those related to bias, fairness, and transparency, these must be balanced with the benefits AI can offer
- AI’s development and application should always take into account ethical considerations and the need to promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
The Engineering Council’s AI Working Group also recognised that the influence of AI doesn’t stop at the classroom door. The use of AI in professional registration and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an area of growing importance. There is potential for AI to support more accessible and streamlined registration processes, as well as to help individuals maintain and evidence their professional competence throughout their careers. However, while innovation is welcomed, the Engineering Council remains committed to the broad principle of peer review in the professional review, programme recognition, and in CPD sampling.
Although many positive applications are highlighted in the report, risks have also been flagged, in particular the use of large language models (LLMs) to create entire professional registration applications, which may have no basis in knowledge and experience. To begin to address this, the Engineering Council is working with the Science Council, to create guidance for assessors involved in professional registration on how to spot the use of AI tools in professional registration applications.
What Comes Next?
Following the Working Group’s recommendations, the Engineering Council is considering a number of follow-up actions, which could include the development of resources and guidance for registrants and PEIs related to:
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technology developments and programme recognition
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the use of AI in professional registration processes
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the use of AI to support CPD
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the use of AI to support teaching
AI has the potential to revolutionise education – not by replacing educators, but by augmenting human expertise, opening up new ways to learn, assess, and grow. The work of the Engineering Council and its partners through the AI Working Group is an important step in helping the engineering profession navigate this rapidly changing landscape with confidence and clarity.
As AI continues to evolve, the Engineering Council is committed to ensuring that the engineering profession is prepared to use these tools wisely, ethically, and inclusively. We will continue to ask: how can AI help us build not just smarter systems, but a more inclusive, capable and future-ready profession?
Notes
The Engineering Council would like to thank all the volunteers who contributed to the Working Group, including Professor Eujin Pei CEng who Chaired the Working Group and former EPC President Mike Sutcliffe who Chaired the sub-group focused on the Engineering Council’s Standards (AHEP, AAQA and UK-SPEC).
To get involved in future Engineering Council work around AI and its application to the education landscape, please email edskills@engc.org.uk