KUCHING: The future will present a vastly different scenario for young engineers as artificial intelligence (AI) and rapidly evolving technologies reshape the way people live and economies function.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said AI would play a central role in this changing landscape, particularly in accelerating the search for solutions.
However, he said human wisdom would remain crucial in turning ideas into practical solutions.
“I think for the future, the scenario will be different from the present. The scenario is artificial intelligence will play a central part.
“And artificial intelligence, as you know, is to accelerate to find solutions. And that’s where wisdom is important to translate the idea into something that is practical.
“The young engineers will be in that sort of era where machine will act just like human. And that one will change the whole structure of our economies,” he said.
He said this during a fireside chat held in conjunction with the 34th Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) General Assembly and World Engineering Congress at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.
The session was moderated by past president of both the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) and FEIAP, Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Datuk Dr Chuah Hean Teik.
Abang Johari said technological changes could also be seen in warfare, where drones have transformed how operations are carried out.
Against such a rapidly changing backdrop, he said young engineers must be able to imagine the environment they will face and anticipate the technologies that may emerge.
“The young engineers have to dream what is the era they are in, what are the likelihood of the new devices they have to use,” he said.
He said every technological advancement could also create new problems that would require another generation of solutions.
For instance, he said advances in hacking would require corresponding detection and protection technologies, opening up new areas for engineering.
Abang Johari said similar developments could eventually transform healthcare, pointing to efforts to produce artificial organs and tissues capable of functioning like human organs.
“If that happens, you know, you can live longer. So, longer lifespans mean an ageing population, and the whole social system will have to change.
“The engineers have to find the supporting changes to support ageing population. This is just what I think will happen in future,” he said.
