Artificial intelligence is moving beyond answering questions to performing tasks independently, raising important questions about trust, governance, and accountability. Bentley Systems believes that human engineers must remain responsible for critical decisions, particularly when public safety and infrastructure integrity are involved.
In an article reflecting on the Financial Times Future of AI Summit in London, Nathan Marsh, Bentley’s senior vice president for EMEA, discusses the changing relationship between AI autonomy and human judgment. The panel included representatives from NiCE Cogni, Mastercard, and Adaption, highlighting AI applications across customer service, financial transactions, and infrastructure engineering.
While AI agents increasingly resolve customer issues and execute authorized transactions, engineering presents different challenges. Bentley uses AI to automate routine activities, improve software interactions, and explore design alternatives. However, Marsh emphasizes that decisions affecting structural integrity and public safety must remain under professional supervision.
A central theme is the importance of industry-specific context. Reliable AI recommendations require access to engineering standards, site conditions, historical design decisions, construction modifications, and maintenance records. Without this information, AI may produce technically plausible recommendations that overlook critical project constraints.
Bentley advocates connecting fragmented engineering information through shared data schemas that preserve institutional knowledge. This approach helps AI systems understand infrastructure assets throughout their lifecycles.
Another priority is AI literacy. Engineers must learn to evaluate AI-generated recommendations, recognize limitations, and apply systems thinking and critical judgment rather than accepting automated outputs unquestioningly.
AI adoption is already accelerating across infrastructure projects. Bentley reports that nearly 70% of finalists and more than one-quarter of submissions to its recent Year in Infrastructure Awards incorporated AI.
The article reinforces Bentley’s position that successful engineering automation depends on combining machine capabilities with professional expertise. AI can improve efficiency and expand design possibilities, but engineers must retain authority over consequential decisions and remain accountable for their outcomes.
