Engineers used to call it the “Knack”, that mix of critical thinking, questioning, and a relentless respect for real world results. Tools have always been part of that craft. Slide rules gave way to calculators and then computers, and now AI is the next instrument on the workbench.
Think of AI as a faster calculator. Same goal, shorter path. A calculator won’t design a bridge for you, but it will display the options so you can focus on the design. You still need to frame the problem correctly and validate that the answer makes sense. AI’s value today is in speeding up work we already know how to do: imagining possible solutions, reconciling mismatched data, or drafting workflows.
But like a calculator, AI doesn’t replace judgment. Guardrails matter: human review, provenance, and versioning. You should always ask: Where did this idea come from? Implement versioning to trace how ideas evolve. Can I trace its logic? Does this idea make sense?
The return on AI is easy to measure. Minutes saved × frequency × labor rate = ROI. AI is not magic, it’s leverage. Treat it like a calculator, useful, fast, but only as smart as the engineer pressing the buttons.
Use AI as the sophisticated tool it is. Apply engineering discipline. Question everything. Let reality be your validator. The Knack still matters.
Larry Brazile 
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