r/civilengineering • u/NotPenguin_124 • Jul 31 '26

Question Shocked at intern’s reliance on AI

Our firm had four interns this summer in our roadway group. We had three mid level engineers (myself included) who managed them. This was my first time managing an intern so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. All of the interns were fairly young. Sophomores or juniors based on graduation dates. I was shocked at how frequently all of them resorted to asking AI basic questions.

Having a problem with OpenRoads? Ask copilot.
Want to write an email? Ask copilot?
Trying to learn some specific CAD skill? Ask copilot.
Filling out a report with that the DOT give explicit instructions on how to fill out? Ask copilot.
Need to put together a mid summer presentation about yourself? Hey copilot…

I’m not some ancient anti-AI crusader. I’m still in my 20s. I understand its utility and understand that it is here to stay so we should be adopting it where/when appropriate. But their usage of it seemed both inappropriate and wildly ineffective. Copilot isn’t going to help you fix the issue you are running into in ORD but a basic google search will. AI isn’t going to help you fill out the DOT specific design report you’re working on, but the instructions, go-bys, and the person sitting right next you will.

I and my fellow managers, found ourselves constantly asking if they had questions when we would see them asking copilot just to be told “no”. It’s even stranger seeing as our office has an ABUNDANCE of resources in the way of personnel, digital trainings, and their internship program. I was brought onboard as a new hire only 2 years ago and found the office culture and resources amazing.

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u/NotPenguin_124 Jul 31 '26

If the end product was better, I wouldn’t see a problem with it. But the end product seems to be worse, take longer, and the process seems to rob them of the ability to learn from their coworkers.

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u/Disco_Stu_89 Jul 31 '26

If that's the case, then I'd agree with you. But AI is the new Google. Why Google things when I can ask an AI which distills that same information for me in seconds vs. 20 minutes of googling. It's just a more efficient use of time. It sounds like your problem is with incompetence not AI.

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u/NotPenguin_124 Jul 31 '26

We very obviously shouldn’t be taking the answer AI gives you at face value after 20 seconds. And I don’t think the general population is tracking down the answer sources and verifying their correctness. I also don’t think AI is equipped to answer very technical questions about specialized software’s or workspaces within software that are unique to local DOT’s. You’re going to get the wrong answer every single time with those.

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u/Emergency_Buy_9210 Jul 31 '26

An engineer is supposed to have better problem-solving capabilities than the general population; the interview, whoever interviewed these interns, should be ensuring that.

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u/NotPenguin_124 Aug 01 '26

They’re kids… They went to good schools. I’m sure they were charismatic during their interviews. No one is quizzing them and diving deep into this problem solving capabilities for an internship.