10/05/2026
My grandfather was an aerospace engineer. I wrote my first code when I was only nine on a ZX81.
In 1981, nobody could have predicted where we are now from a career standpoint. Yet a lot of the career advice we are programmed for was built on steady career progression from entry through to seniority.
We know that AI is now in almost everything and that it's impacting careers, roles and futures.
This means linear career paths have moved into a probabilistic path.
Nobody likes endless probability amid uncertainty. So maybe we become scientists in the lab of our own careers: run small experiments, learn fast, adjust.
What do we need to do?
Today, this AI era and the systems around us ask engineers — all of us, in fact — to look at the reality in front of us right now and choose the stepping stones to what's next.
Despite the doom and gloom in the headlines, there's hope.
The US government projects engineering jobs will grow by about 8% by 2035, faster than the 3% average for all jobs, with electrical at 10%, mechanical at 11% and aerospace at 8% (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025-35 projections).
The world's biggest challenges, from tunnels and rockets to clean power, a safer grid and the chips behind it all, need people who can think clearly, check the work, and take responsibility for it.
Even in aviation, regulators say AI is a tool and the responsibility stays with the human (Aerospace America, AIAA, Oct 2026).
So how do you get there?
I'm thrilled to present for the fourth time to IEEE-USA members, with a professional education credit, this Wednesday: Tech, Human, System: Career Evolution for Engineers in 2026.
Here's the link, and I hope to see you there:
AI, agents, and real-time infrastructure are pushing engineers to h...
