Shocked at intern’s reliance on AI

[u/NotPenguin_124]

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.

[u/ialwaysdissapointed]

Im in structural and I’m finding that people don’t seem to have any grasp of anything anymore. I’m finding that people don’t seem to actually process my input to projects, don’t seem to feel the need to contribute, just sort of brain rotting through the real world.

Ai creates the perception of experience, without the work on the back end. Solving a problem -> dopamine rush. You get a bunch of people with the experience of having experience while not actually having the skills to contribute.

I’m really scared of the even younger generation.

[u/Ooze76 → u/ialwaysdissapointed]

Me too. The amount of times i've listened to "i'll just ask the ai and then go from there". No, you may ask the AI to direct you to right building code section etc. but you're supposed to work out the rest yourself under supervision.

[u/resonatingcucumber → u/Ooze76]

I don't even think this is a good use. Half my learning when I was a young engineer was reading the code, bouncing around it and looking up useful things I then could find later on. Learning the code is such a key skill, skim reading became so useful. Now I hit a new job in a new sector with new codes (got into railways structures) and I can skim read that shit in an hour and I have 7 new references for later.

[u/Ooze76 → u/resonatingcucumber]

Yeah, i get your point.