THE HUMAN ENGINEER - RESKILLING IN THE AI ERA

Abstract

The AI era requires engineering to adapt its focus away from solely technical proficiency towards an hybrid skill-set encompassing the integration of AI abilities, digital know-how, and understanding of sustainability principles. This paper relates the technological transition towards hybrid propulsion, renewable energy, smart port operations in the area of maritime sustainability with the redefinition of the "Human Engineer". Through the analysis of case-studies, relevant insights concerning successful integration of humans and AI are proposed in terms of lifelong learning, technological infrastructure changes and governance strategies. By converging technical expertise and transformation of the workforce, this work sketches a path towards success for engineers in the new AI-enhanced paradigm as supporters of sustainability and efficiency goals. This study is based on a narrative review methodology which has been developed by considering the literature available on maritime de-carbonization, smart port development, alternative fuels, AI-enhanced industrial change. Selected papers have been analyzed in thematic terms, aiming to isolate the needed engineering competencies, the retraining processes and the multidisciplinary skills that will support humans in the working environment defined by the human--machine hybridity paradigm. This study represents a theoretical synthesis, which links up the implications of Maritime sustainability transformation towards engineers' retraining needs in the AI era.