Opportunities for large language models and discourse in engineering design

Energy and AI, vol. 17, pp. 100383

Abstract

In recent years, large language models have achieved breakthroughs on a wide range of benchmarks in natural language processing and continue to increase in performance. Recently, the advances of large language models have raised interest outside the natural language processing community and could have a large impact on daily life. In this paper, we pose the question: How will large language models and other foundation models shape the future product development process? We provide the reader with an overview of the subject by summarizing both recent advances in natural language processing and the use of information technology in the engineering design process. We argue that discourse should be regarded as the core of engineering design processes, and therefore should be represented in a digital artifact. On this basis, we describe how foundation models such as large language models could contribute to the design discourse by automating parts thereof that involve creativity and reasoning, and were previously reserved for humans. We describe how simulations, experiments, topology optimizations, and other process steps can be integrated into a machine-actionable, discourse-centric design process. As an example, we present a design discourse on the optimization of wind turbine blades. Finally, we outline the future research that will be necessary for the implementation of the conceptualized framework.

Authors 4

1. Jan Göpfert Aachen Chair for Fuel Cells

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Fuel Cells, RWTH Aachen University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Aachen, 52062, Germany

   Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Techno-economic Systems Analysis (IEK-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52425, Germany

2. Jann Michael Weinand corresponding

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Techno-economic Systems Analysis (IEK-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52425, Germany

3. Patrick Kuckertz

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Techno-economic Systems Analysis (IEK-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52425, Germany

4. Detlef Stolten Aachen Chair for Fuel Cells

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Fuel Cells, RWTH Aachen University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Aachen, 52062, Germany

   Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Techno-economic Systems Analysis (IEK-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52425, Germany