Engineers must remain accountable for AI use – expert

Photo: Trend News Agency

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 14. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in engineering education should not replace analytical thinking or an understanding of physical processes, and engineers must remain accountable for the results of using AI, Aldo Canova, a representative of the Department of Energy at Italy’s Polytechnic University of Turin, said at the opening ceremony of the 20th IEEE International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies (AICT2026) in Baku, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.

“It is important to maintain an analytical approach. In my applied electromagnetics courses, I teach students analytical methods, even through simple examples. This is necessary primarily to ensure that they have a solid understanding of physics, fundamental equations, and mathematical models. This will enable them to formulate appropriate prompts for artificial intelligence and have the tools to verify its results,” he said.

According to Canova, without such an understanding, students may accept AI-generated answers without critically assessing them or checking their accuracy.

He also emphasized the importance of engineers taking responsibility when using AI in their professional activities.

“When students graduate from university and start designing a bridge or a power plant, they can continue to use artificial intelligence to perform certain tasks. However, they must understand that they, as engineers, are responsible for the results, not artificial intelligence. AI is not accountable,” Canova noted.

He added that students should view AI as a tool while recognizing their own responsibility for the results of its application.

The 20th IEEE International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies (AICT2026) is being held at ADA University in Baku. Azerbaijan is hosting the conference for the seventh time, and this year’s event marks the 20th anniversary of the AICT series under the slogan “20 Years of Connecting Science, Technology, and Society.”

The event is jointly organized by ADA University, relevant IEEE units in Azerbaijan, the Polytechnic University of Turin, George Washington University, Nazarbayev University, United Arab Emirates University, Tashkent University of Information Technologies, Kazakh-British Technical University, Tbilisi State University, Georgian Technical University, SDU University, the Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering, and the Alessandro Faedo Institute of Information Science and Technologies.

The conference aims to facilitate knowledge exchange in information and communication technologies and discuss the sector’s latest developments. It brings together researchers, academics, and industry representatives.