Gaining an AI Edge in Electrical Design

One year ago this month, I wrote my viewpoint on the “ever-evolving world” of electrical design in recognition of our annual Top 40 Electrical Design Firms rankings and special report, trying to make sense of the ways in which the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) could transform the electrical design profession. Looking back, what a difference a year makes. In my opinion, it seems almost impossible to grasp all of the ways (and extent to which) AI has been implemented in the last 12 months — both in our personal and professional lives — and early adoption in our industry is just scratching the surface of what “could be.”
Although we’ve tracked survey data on the Top 40 for many years regarding their level of adoption with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies, 2024 was the first survey in which we specifically asked how long respondents expect it will take for AI to become a “viable component” of electrical design work. Last year, 43% indicated they were “already using” AI. This year, that number jumped up 10 percentage points, and more than 30% of respondents reported that they plan to implement it in the next one to two years. How are electrical design firms currently using AI to their advantage? The top two responses this year were marketing and promotions (70%) and optimizing processes/improving efficiency (56%).
No longer a theoretical concept, AI is a practical tool that’s increasingly becoming embedded in the workflows of top consulting specifying engineers. Despite this momentum, AI’s rise in the electrical design realm — and the greater construction industry as a whole — remains somewhat tempered. According to its first annual “Construction Intelligence Study,” Slate Technologies recently surveyed senior leaders across the construction ecosystem to gauge key pain points. This research revealed that while the construction industry recognizes the strategic value of digital transformation and AI, the actual adoption of advanced technologies (such as predictive analytics) remains limited. Per the report: “This is hindered by a cautious investment mindset and persistent operational challenges, including rising material costs and unreliable forecasting tools, highlighting a significant gap between technological awareness and practical implementation. While many acknowledge the value of intelligent automation, the majority have yet to integrate tools such as predictive analytics or real-time forecasting into their planning workflows.” Uncovering some key technology gaps, the survey found that 65% of respondents had not adopted AI or predictive analytics tools for project planning or decision-making.
From the research I’ve seen so far, AI is not poised to replace engineering expertise but rather to enhance and augment it, streamlining repetitive tasks, supporting design decisions/options, and enabling a range of capabilities that have yet to be discovered. I had the opportunity to interview Chris Campbell, Vice President of Data Center Execution at Eaton Corp., at the PowerTest 25 conference hosted by NETA in March, gaining perspective and key takeaways from a panel discussion he served on as a subject matter expert related to “AI Learning — Improving Operational Efficiency and Workforce Safety.” Insisting there has never been a more exciting time to be in the electrical power industry, Campbell emphasized the need for extensive training and education surrounding AI adoption, implementation, and execution. “The training piece is critical. We have employees coming up with great use cases for artificial intelligence that we’re learning from,” he said. “So we want to have that element, but we also have to have the proper controls in place to make sure it’s not being used in a manner that it’s not intended. I personally believe that the benefits outweigh the risks, but we still have to effectively manage the risks associated with it.”
The panel discussed at length a tiered approach to AI implementation that includes having controls in place to manage such risks. “If I’m using AI to help write a performance review, it’s not as high of a risk as using AI to help troubleshoot a fault in a power distribution system,” he added. “So making sure we’re leveraging the technology and managing the risk at different tiers is going to be critical. There’s an element within electrical power services — safety is critical — but speed and creativity are too. The speed and creativity that can come from the right leverage of artificial intelligence is absolutely a competitive advantage, and the companies that figure that out and adopt the proper use of it the best are going to find that as a competitive advantage in the market.” Watch the full six-minute video interview with Campbell at ecmweb.com/55286331 for more details.
Although the future of AI is obviously yet to be fully realized, let alone fully imagined, as adoption grows — and trust in the tools improves — I think we can expect broader and deeper integration into the full life cycle of electrical system design and delivery.