AI for DE: A Transformation Imperative

Lead the future or be left behind…

Eric Alexander, Director of MBSE Services 

We all recognize that modern systems are growing in complexity at a pace that traditional engineering methods simply cannot keep up with. Document-heavy processes have already given way to model-based systems engineering (MBSE), but even MBSE alone is reaching its glass ceiling. Without transformational technology, engineers risk becoming bogged down in manual bottlenecks, inconsistent models, and siloed knowledge that slows progress. 

Enter artificial intelligence (AI): not just another tool in the kit, but as the turning point for digital engineering (DE), and more specifically as it relates to this post, MBSE.  

Integrated into MBSE workflows, AI collapses timelines, amplifies human creativity, and transforms engineers from overpaid “data entry clerks” into the innovative systems engineers they were meant to be. 

THE PROBLEM: EXPENSIVE DATA ENTRY, NOT ENGINEERING

Many organizations have invested heavily in MBSE tools and training, only to discover a troubling reality: armies of well-paid staff who can enter data into a model but lack the systems thinking, problem-solving and engineering expertise to make that model drive decisions. Senior leaders are noticing, and they’re frustrated. 

This is more than a productivity issue. It’s a strategic vulnerability. Our inability to innovate and rapidly deliver cutting-edge capabilities puts us behind competitors and adversaries who are already harnessing AI to accelerate development. The consequences aren’t limited to market share; they carry serious economic and national security risks. 

THE TRANSFORMATION: FROM WEEKS TO MINUTES

With AI, what once took weeks can take hours or minutes. Consider: 

• Faster cycles: Manual modeling shrinks from weeks to hours 

• Real-time checks: Requirements validated against standards and past pitfalls instantly 

• Living knowledge bases: Legacy CONOPS, MIL-STDs, and lessons learned made query-able, not buried in PDFs or locked in brain cells  

• Cross-domain clarity: Electrical, mechanical, and software conflicts exposed before they derail programs 

  
  

This isn’t theory. It’s happening today in organizations that have embraced AI-powered DE pipelines. 

HOW AI UNLOCKS DIGITAL ENGINEERING

AI empowers engineers instead of replacing them: 

• Automates repetitive, low-value tasks → freeing engineers to innovate 

• Integrates insights across domains → ensuring true interoperability 

• Prevents costly rework → by catching gaps, missed assumptions and errors in real time 

• Retains top talent → keeping engineers engaged in problem-solving, not data entry 

• Activates knowledge → converting static standards into living, dynamic systems 

The result? Speed, accuracy and scale handled by AI; while humans focus on innovation, strategy and leadership. 

BEYOND THE MODEL: AI ACROSS THE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM

This is only the beginning. In upcoming discussions, we’ll explore how AI is transforming the broader Digital Engineering Ecosystem—from digital thread development and data discovery to insight generation, decision analysis support, and automated design configuration and co-simulation orchestration. These aren’t futuristic concepts—they’re active frontiers shaping how tomorrow’s systems will be engineered, tested, and sustained. 

THE STAKES: LEAD OR BE LEFT BEHIND

Adopting AI isn’t optional, it’s a strategic and warfighting imperative. Competitors and adversaries recognize AI as a weapon of advantage and are moving fast. If we treat it as a side project, we cede the initiative. The organizations that embrace AI today will set the standards of tomorrow. Those that don’t may not be around to catch up. 

The question for DE leaders is not whether AI will shape the future of engineering—it’s whether your organization will shape it or be shaped by others. 

We’ve seen that those who move early don’t just gain efficiency; they redefine how innovation happens. They identify the right opportunities, scale sustainably, safeguard transparency and trust, and unlock engineers to do what humans do best: innovate, adapt and lead. 

Because in the end, AI isn’t here to replace engineers. It’s here to amplify them. The organizations that act decisively will define the future of engineering—and the security of our nation. 

For those exploring this frontier, we’ve shared additional resources on our Intelligent MBSE page that dive deeper into practical steps and lessons learned.