Survey Says AI Is Already Key Part of Product DesignSurvey Says AI Is Already Key Part of Product Design

Process automation appears to be the best potential AI role, but other areas are also likely to be impacted.

Spencer Chin, Senior Editor

January 14, 2025

3 Min Read
A survey by Avnet concludes AI is already making a huge impact in design engineering.
AI has already made huge inroads into functions such as process automation and predictive maintenance.bigjom/ iStock / Getty Images Plus

Many discussions about AI over the past few years have centered around its potential role in the product design cycle. According to electronic distributor Avnet’s last Avnet Insights Survey, the answer appears to be a resounding yes.

According to Avnet’s fourth annual Avnet Insights survey, 75% of the 1200 engineers surveyed thought that market conditions for their design products are getting better, and 49% anticipate that economic and market conditions in the next year will make their product design and development work easier. Avnet found 42% of engineers have incorporated AI into their product design process and are currently shipping those products.

Avnet asked engineers where emerging AI technology may have the biggest impact among 14 areas, from AI-driven simulation and testing to hardware design tools and software code generation. Respondents could not identify a single leading area of opportunity─ indicating that, in fact, the opportunity may lay across the board. Alex Iuorio, Senior Vice President, Global Supplier Development, Avnet, said in a statement, “In our latest survey, engineers told us that they see AI impacting everything from their efficiency to hardware design tools to code generation, and even how they collaborate. “

Related:Artificial Intelligence From Behind the Curtain

AI is all compassing

Nearly all (96%) of the engineers surveyed agree that AI will impact key product development functions. These include increasing automation of design tasks, enabling more personalized and customized designs, improving predictive capabilities for market needs, and reducing the overall time for product development cycles.

Engineers also expect certain skills will help them capitalize on the immediate opportunity, Avnet found. The top skills engineers feel are most needed to use AI effectively in product design include data analysis and interpretation (16%), AI model optimization (16%), and problem-solving and critical thinking (16%).

The survey found that engineers predict the highest rate of adoption for AI will be in process automation (42%). Second is predictive maintenance (28%), followed by fault/anomaly detection (27%)—two applications for AI that are growing in popularity in industrial environments.

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Key Concerns

Security and privacy concerns (37%) and data quality (31%) topped the list of challenges of AI cited by survey respondents. While these concerns are not strictly new, the scale at which AI systems require data, and in some cases very sensitive personal data, are making engineers aware that security and data privacy must be prioritized across the product lifecycle. There is also the potential for compromised data to manipulate or trick an AI model and impact its decision-making, necessitating the need to fortify models.

Related:Artificial Intelligence Is Pushing Boundaries in Design Engineering

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The survey found, not surprisingly, that ChatGPT was the most used AI tool, used by 64% of respondents. Other tools included Google Gemini (52%), Microsoft Copilot (47%), and Meta AI (43%) were not far behind. Some 6% reported that they do not use any AI tools to answer technical questions.

As to exactly whether (and to what extent) and in what areas AI will influence product design in the next 3-5 years, survey respondents were in near unanimous agreement that likely that AI will make a positive impact across all aspects of product design.

The 2024 survey was conducted online and fielded to 1,204 global respondents, fielded October 31 through November 15, 2024. Regionally, respondents were based in the Americas, EMEA, Asia, and Japan (United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, China and Japan).

About the Author

Spencer Chin

Senior Editor, Design News

Spencer Chin is a Senior Editor for Design News, covering the electronics beat, which includes semiconductors, components, power, embedded systems, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and other related subjects. He is always open to ideas for coverage. Spencer has spent many years covering electronics for brands including Electronic Products, Electronic Buyers News, EE Times, Power Electronics, and electronics360. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him at @spencerchin.

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