AI progress is fundamentally driven by vast amounts of data and compute, rather than improvements in sample efficiency, creating a stark contrast with human learning. This essay explores the "black hole of data" powering AIs, quantifies the massive sample-efficiency gap between humans and machines, counters common objections, and discusses the implications for white-collar automation and future AI research.
James Shaw, a mechanical engineer and Ansys channel partner, delves into the current and future impact of agentic AI and physics-informed neural networks (PINs) on simulation workflows. He explores how AI is revolutionizing aspects from tech support and model setup to the solver itself, particularly in CFD. The discussion also covers the implications for the engineering job market, the 'senior-junior inversion crisis', and the continued irreplaceability of skilled engineers due to the inherent physicality of the world, emphasizing the need for robust, trustworthy data to train AI.