Lateral Thinking-Classified Perspectives for the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence: Guidance Notes for Engineering Managers

Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into engineering practice is becoming increasingly prominent, driven by the demand for more efficient and reliable solutions to engineering challenges. Despite numerous frameworks and methodologies that showcase how AI techniques can enhance engineering workflows, there is still a notable absence of simple and generic decision-making paradigms that comprehensively facilitate the adoption of AI in engineering settings. Lateral thinking, a widely used problem-solving approach rooted in reasoning, has been extensively employed in management spheres. This article introduces a new approach by drawing inferences from generic perspectives on the pros and cons of AI adoption, broadly classified under the six lateral thinking hats to assist engineering managers in navigating AI adoption decisions. The recommended actions inferred from these perspectives are then posited as guidance notes for engineering managers to leverage the benefits and mitigate the risks of AI adoption.