ChatGPT for Professional Engineers:
Responsible Use, Risk Management, and Professional Judgment
 

Course Description:

This course provides Professional Engineers with a structured, practice-oriented framework for the responsible use of ChatGPT in engineering workflows. It explains how ChatGPT functions at a conceptual level, clearly differentiates it from traditional engineering analysis tools, and establishes appropriate boundaries for its use in professional practice. The course emphasizes verification, validation, documentation, transparency, and governance as essential safeguards when AI tools are incorporated into engineering activities.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

1. Explain how ChatGPT and large language models function at a conceptual level, including their probabilistic nature, training limitations, and differences from deterministic engineering software.
2. Differentiate ChatGPT from traditional engineering analysis and design tools, particularly with respect to physical modeling, code compliance, traceability, and reproducibility.
3. Identify appropriate engineering use cases for ChatGPT, including drafting, research support, conceptual exploration, and organizational tasks, while recognizing tasks for which ChatGPT is unsuitable.
4. Recognize inappropriate and high-risk uses of ChatGPT in engineering practice, including code interpretation, final design calculations, sealed documents, and safety-critical decision-making.
5. Apply verification and validation principles to ChatGPT-assisted outputs to ensure technical accuracy, contextual appropriateness, and consistency with engineering standards.
6. Identify and evaluate risks associated with ChatGPT use, including hallucination, bias, overconfidence, automation bias, and compounding errors within engineering workflows.
7. Assess the role of documentation, transparency, and governance in maintaining accountability, auditability, and defensibility when ChatGPT is used in engineering activities.
8. Apply professional responsibility and ethical principles to the use of ChatGPT, including obligations related to public safety, honesty, competence, and independent professional judgment.
9. Analyze applied case studies involving ChatGPT use and misuse to identify causes of failure, risk mitigation strategies, and best practices for responsible integration into engineering workflows.
10. Determine appropriate levels of reliance on ChatGPT outputs based on consequence of error, ability to independently verify results, and regulatory or contractual constraints.
11. Evaluate liability and accountability considerations associated with ChatGPT-assisted engineering work, including the continuing responsibility of the engineer of record.
12. Integrate ChatGPT responsibly into professional engineering practice as a decision-support and productivity tool while maintaining compliance with ethical standards, regulatory requirements, and standards of care.