Are the best engineers really working on ads?

In this comment thread on LinkedIn , someone asks where all the cool engineering projects have gone. Are the best engineers really working on ads?

No.

Here are three examples of awesome engineering and technology that I have first-hand experience in that are driven and being worked on by some of the most brilliant engineers and engineering teams out there, decidedly not working on ad and AI buzzword-hype, even though tons of software is being used either as a tool or as a key valueproposition enabler:

1. Accelleron Industries (ex ABB Turbo Systems)

“Power2” two-stage turbocharging (two turbochargers in series, think “Toyota Supra turbo”) for large diesel and gas engines: tough technology challenges at the intersection of mechanical engineering, engineering design and materials science, plus high-performance computing for simulation-driven optimization with Machine Learning algorithms, and probabilistic design.

2. Hilti Corporation

Hardware-testing-driven research and development for the design and optimization of diamond core bits, at the intersection of powder metallurgy, multi-component sintered materials, tribology and wear, supported by various data-analytical methods, incl. Machine Learning algorithms for design-space exploration.

3. Proceq (now Screening Eagle Technologies)

Tiny-form-factor NiMH-battery-powered lightweight handheld Stepped-Frequency Continuous-Wave radar unit that beams its data to the iPad via Wi-Fi; superb signal-to-noise ratio / range / resolution combo, usability, etc.

These are all engineering projects and capabilities at the cutting edge of technology. Not to mention the know-how it takes to accelerate the time-to-market of such products, despite the fact that you are dealing with lead-times and other risks that are part of dealing with tangible stuff.

And it’s also why the use of terms such as “tech” or “deep-tech” to exclusively describe FAANG & co. is a “general indication of ignorance”.

Plenty of “Skunk Works” and excellent engineering teams and professionals there; you just don’t hear about them.