Blog Post 5: Object-Oriented Databases

Object-oriented databases differ from relational databases in which information is shown in the form of objects. The benefit of using object-oriented database management systems (OODBMS) is that they allow you to create an object, store it, and then replicate or modify existing objects to make new ones. The object is represented the same way between the programming language and the OOBMS so that there is consistency. This is different from relational database management systems (RDBMS) where the database model is separated from the application of the database. 

  

OODBMS store data and relationships between data directly, instead of sorting through rows and columns like a RDBMS. RDBMS require intermediate tables to maintain relationships between data. Both intermediate tables and relational mapping code are not required while using OODBMS unless you are incorporating new features. This obviously saves a lot of time while developing the database. 

  

RDBMS are far more popular and more widely used compared to OODBMS which have been implemented into RDBMS via object-oriented features. It also used to be very costly to make the change from RDBMS to OODBMS even if companies saw the benefits. However, open source implementation has become popular in recent years and has now allowed for low-cost solutions to become available and more common.

Sources

1. https://database.guide/what-is-an-oodbms/ 

2. http://www.odbms.org/introduction-to-odbms/definition/ 

Comments

1. Aaron Goldberg

This is a very interesting theory that I am not familiar with. Do you know when HP integrated this theory into their products or when they expect to complete it? If the performance increases are as dramatic as they say, I look forward to the new ways that the much more powerful computers will be utilized.

2. Alkiviadis Tsitsios

I like that those of us who strictly researched databases are able to understand the benefits that they have in the construction industry. I am not familiar with the Database Manager Program and it sounds like a useful software that construction firms can integrate into their projects. It is impressive to hear that you are able to use as many attributes as you need within your database.

3. Nana Lin Rasmussen

This is a good summary of SQL and databases. I like that you list off common RDBMS that utilize SQL because it shows how common the language is. The advantages of SQL are interesting, specifically, that coding is not required in SQL. 

Blog 4 - Project Outline - CT

This assignment required students to describe their projects and have other students review and suggest any improvements.

Introduction:
My project will involve the structural design of my senior design project. I chose this project because it will be directly related to the completion of my senior design project. I believe that this project is related to intelligent building because as we move forward with using softwares for engineering design, we cannot fully trust the results generated by computers. For this project, I will be testing the accuracy of some modeling softwares. I will be keeping a log of what I’ve done and the obstacles that arose, particularly with Revit, as I have almost no prior experience.
1. Explain the experiment
     a. Is there a control? Either nothing or my hand calc's

Testing:
I will be analyzing the beams, girders, and columns of 1 floor from using softwares such as Revit and SAP2000 and my hand calculations. The shear, moment, and deflection are particular results that will be used for comparison.
1. Prepare the Revit model and run the simulation, ~Week 7
2. Prepare the SAP2000 model and run the simulation, ~Week 6
3. Analyze the structure by hand, ~Week 6
4. Vary the parameters of the models to obtain different results, ~Week 7

Results:
After performing the experiment, I will attempt to statistically analyze the results. The mean and standard deviation are good places to start. ~Week 8

Conclusion:
Explain how useful the results are to the senior design project, how accurate they might be, and how others might be able to use them. Reflect on how the softwares have helped and how much more advanced they can get.


Comments on colleagues’ posts:

Albert Hanan

I would like to see how far Dynamo will enhance your project because I am also interested in learning about it for my senior design project. I am unfamiliar with the potential of Dynamo but I am interested to see if what you do with it can be applied to my work.

Christian Tait

I once saw a concept idea of incorporating GIS and AR together so that the locations of utilities underground can easily be located without having to read plans. This is actually feasible right now in Philadelphia as long as there is someone who is willing to combine all of the GIS models of every utility into one. From there, it is simply the AR side that needs to work and contractors will be able to use it immediately.

Hanyan Chen

My stance is that a computer cannot create something with aesthetics in mind because it has no understanding of what is artistic. Even when Prof. Mitchell showed us the video where a computer created music, the AI itself has no way of judging its work to be artistic or beautiful. Even if it is based on previous data from famous artists and musicians, it cannot tell if it looks or sounds pleasing to people. With that being said, I wonder how clients will appreciate a building done with AI through many iterations. I also don’t see an architect using AI if it hinders their creativity.

Blog Post 3: The Future of the AEC Industry in 10 Years

Bill Allen is the co-founder and principal at EvolveLAB BIM Consulting. It’s interesting that someone who is the co-founder of a BIM consulting company is already thinking about what’s next. It goes to show you that in order to be successful, you need to stay informed on the latest technology and embrace change. Bill showed how programs are already being implemented to create projects using algorithmic editors (Grasshopper and Dynamo). Algorithmic modeling allows us to create things that would be far too time-consuming using standard BIM technology. Bill’s advice is to prepare yourself for the future and get started by using the technology that is on the forefront today.

I believe that some construction companies will have begun embracing and implementing algorithmic modeling within the next 10 years. However, not every project will benefit from BIM and algorithmic modeling. 3D scanning and VR walkthroughs are already being used to both show owners what a new building will look like and what is inside an existing space. These technologies are extremely useful for very large projects/buildings, but some small projects are finished before a 3D model could be developed. I think that VR walkthroughs will become more and more popular in the coming years which will help to reduce change orders by giving the owner the opportunity to see exactly what the building will look like and could then make any changes to the design before construction even begins.

Above future technology, collaboration during both the design and construction phases will be improved. Owners will no longer communicate with subcontractors through general contractors who only talk to the architect after a problem arises with the design. There will be less RFIs because everyone will be on the same page throughout the life of the project. It will be very interesting to see how quickly buildings can be designed and constructed with everyone on the project collaborating from the very beginning of the project using algorithmic modeling and BIM. Much less time will be wasted designing buildings manually and changing different parts of the building from person to person. I think that larger construction companies will have the capital to invest and benefit from these future technologies on their large projects. Hopefully, they will lead the way to a more efficient construction industry with more affordable technologies.

Source:

1. Allen, Bill. The Future of BIM Will Not Be BIM—and It's Coming Faster than You Think. Youtube, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6yKyauu-o.

To Albert Hanan

Many of the applications mentioned by Allen are definitely being used today, but you make a good point that wide-spread adoption of these applications isn’t coming anytime soon. Many companies have a certain way of doing things and do not like change. I think that once one large company starts using future technology to get more jobs done faster and cheaper, other companies will catch on and be forced to adapt to compete for jobs. I agree that 10 years is a bit too optimistic, but 20-25 years is definitely possible.

To Harvin Bhandal

I have a similar experience from my co-op where you were told to avoid telling people that you could use AutoCAD and Revit because barely anyone knew how to use it and you would get stuck with everyone’s work. The construction industry is currently struggling to get older subcontractors to use iPads and cloud-based project management software so it’s hard to imagine even talking to them about data optimization. One way that has proven to be effective is making it mandatory to use certain technologies in the contract. This could definitely be used to speed up the adoption of future software.

To Gabriel Grajewski

You make a number of good points throughout your post and I like that you back them up with real-world experiences. The construction industry is notoriously behind on the latest technology and I’m sure data optimization will be no different. It is odd to even hear the words construction and data optimization in the same sentence, but we will get there eventually. I definitely agree that basic applications will be implemented within the next 10 years to work on large projects more effectively.  

Group B Week 3 Thursday Group Discussion

We think that the AI BIM can be useful in the future. The engineers can still have input of the models but the AI can spit out options.

Although CNC machining parts of a building can cost a lot of time and money, simple parts can be done extremely quickly.

The price of machining complex parts can go down and the design of the parts can be done by AI in 10 years.

Interoperability will be better in 10 years. Softwares such as Revit, Dynamo, and Rhino can work together seamlessly.

Pushing for these changes can greatly influence the way students are taught architectural engineering in the future.

BIM Interoperability

This assignment required students to read about BIM from the 2011 edition of the BIM Handbook found in the online library of Drexel University. Each group had a separate topic to explore. I will be reading and discussing about interoperability located in chapter 3 of the book.

In this instance, interoperability means the ability to exchange data between softwares almost seamlessly. This is going to be an important feature to have in softwares as we move forward because it will save time for design if different softwares that specialize in different aspects of building design can account for the other softwares usages.

My interpretation of the definition of interoperability would be something like the “effective communication between different accents within a language.” In this case, the language is BIM and the accents are softwares like Revit or SketchUp or eQuest. They are made by different companies and are used for different purposes but they can be used to simulate the performance of a building model. Sometimes it may be difficult to understand someone who is speaking the same language but in a different accent. Effective communication would be having users being able to move from one BIM software to another without losing any information along the way.

I may not have as much experience with BIM but a fellow student can explain the current state of BIM interoperability better. In Nick Maloney’s post, he explains that “during my co-op experience I have seen that REVIT’s family properties have become robust enough to take not only standard members but also custom trusses or girders and convert them into usable STAAD models, greatly improving efficiency in design” (Maloney 2019). What this tells me is that there is progress to increase interoperability between softwares. In this case, the structural design of a building can be modeled in Revit and STAAD and exchanged.

There are a few things that are promoting interoperability today. The National BIM Standard (BIMS) is establishing some standards for formatting data. Another effort is the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) which is a type of data organization method that “define[s] an extensible set of consistent data representations of building information for exchange between AEC software applications” (Eastman 2011). IFC may be used more frequently since it can exchange simple but adequate components of building data such as the properties of elements from groups. It may not be the complete package but it is useful for quick simulations. Even though the concept of interoperability seems like it is the way of the future, there are some obstacles that hinder interoperability.

In the post written by Christian Tait, there may be conflict between the companies or “it’s not in either company’s interest to make their products interoperable with their competitors” (Tait 2019). I agree that as we move forward, doing something as simple as exchanging data can be a problem if the capability exists but the business practice plays dirty. In the future, I think interoperability will be much more prevalent in softwares if the developers of the respective software were to work together from the start of coding, much like the integrated design of a building and sort out conflicts early on.

Source(s):
Eastman, Charles M. 2011. “Chapter 3: Interoperability.” BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. http://ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live. 99-149.

Maloney, Nick. 2019. "B2 - Advantages And Challenges For Interoperability In BIM". Blog. AE-410/510 AY18-19 Student Work. https://ae-410-510-ay18-19.blogspot.com/2019/01/b2-advantages-and-challenges-for.html.

Tait, Christian. 2019. "B2 - BIM Interoperability". Blog. AE-410/510 AY18-19 Student Work. https://ae-410-510-ay18-19.blogspot.com/2019/01/b2-bim-interoperability.html.


Comments on colleagues’ posts:
Hailey Ihlow
I can see why even now, BIM isn’t fully adopted in the industry if there are specific methods for engineering design and code requirements. BIM is good for simulating building performance but is not a substitute for engineering calculations. We should not depend on computers to do the engineering if the engineer is the one who is liable if they don’t check it. It will be interesting to see if AI in the future will be able to have a human intuition as to whether something seems wrong even if the model has no conflicts.

Aaron Goldberg
I was also questioning why we can’t import files from one software to another if they attempt to do the same thing. Even opening an Excel spreadsheet in Google sheets will produce differences. It comes down to the coding and the way data is presented. My topic was interoperability, the ability to exchange BIM data between softwares. The problem is we can’t have identical product functionality in the coding or else there might be some copyright issues. But there are clear benefits to being able to have an in-house method of exchanging data like the way Kayleigh Houde described in her presentation during week 2.

Tyler Madden
I had always assumed that contractors weren’t up to the latest practices considering they have to work with construction workers who may not have had the best education. It would be worth spending time and money teaching and certifying contractors to be able to use BIM such as Revit to see what the final product would look like as they are constructing the building.

Blog 2: Chapter 2

I read chapter 2 of the BIM handbook which discusses BIM Tools and Parametric Modeling.  This chapter dives into the history of BIM, different BIM softwares and their utilizations including converting 2-D drawings to 3-D, and the various means used to identify similar components of a BIM software to compare different softwares.  Giving names to all of these components like tools, platforms, and environments, and the parts of history that went towards developing BIM softwares really helped me understand what goes into the software from an engineering perspective, and the players that contribute funds to the development and research of this type of software. 

My personal experience with AutoCAD has allowed me to begin learning AutoLISP, the coding language behind AutoCAD, which was mentioned in this chapter of the textbook.  This knowledge and experience was being put to use while reading through this chapter as I could identify specific exercises that I completed at work with the specific terms that the BIM handbook used.  In addition to this, section  2.3.6 raises some commonly asked questions, including one specifically that I, and many of my colleagues have asked in recent years: “Why Can’t Different Parametric Modelers Exchange Their Models?”.  In other words, or as I would actually ask the questions: “Why can I not export my model from one software to another?”.  Finally, I am able to understand, as explained in this section, that BIM softwares are able to define object behavior at the foundation of an object’s definition, and different softwares identify this behavior differently.  This behavior includes how 3-D objects interact with each other when, for example, a wall sits on-top of a concrete slab.  Although on the surface every software might represent this interaction the same way, the behind-the-scenes behavior of that interaction happens differently in different softwares.  This is why when converting models or files between softwares that are compatible, everyone is always wary of “glitches” or issues in the software during the conversion.  The model may get messed up, but only because the background behaviors of the objects differs for each BIM software.

This was just one of the topics that really resonated with my understanding of the softwares, and I am glad to finally have a better understanding of this phenomenon.  The background information that this chapter explains has provided me with a much better understanding of these softwares, and the interactions between them.

Works Cited:

[1] Eastman, Charles M. BIM Handbook : A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. Vol. 2nd ed, Wiley, 2011. EBSCOhost, ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=364239&site=ehost-live.

Response 1: Richard Kimball

Richard, I think that your conclusion at the end of your post to find a compromise between the systems or methods being chosen between is the best means to an end of creating the work product.  In the beginning of chapter 2, Eastman explains that when deciding between the two different modeling methods for defining objects, it was clear that they should be combined to create what is known as BIM modeling today.  Linking these ideas together, grabbing the best parts of each method is the best way for us to move forward in BIM modeling, and in the AEC industry.

Response 2: Kunlun Ren

Kunlun Ren, that was a great summary of the chapter that really highlighted each of the main points from the main sections.  Although many engineers and architects that use BIM stop learning about it once they know how to use the software itself, I believe that it is very important to understand how BIM came to exist, and also the parts and pieces that are running behind the scenes.  Understanding the difference between tools, platforms, and environments can give a drafter a much better understanding of what it is they are doing, and also how to optimize and improve their methods.

Response 3: Harvin Bhandal

Harvin, I like how you discuss the definition of an object’s behavior and how it interacts with other objects in a BIM software.  Like you said, each object in a BIM software interacts with other adjacent objects, and follows the pre-set rules of that particular software, although each software has its own set of rules to follow.  This is important to note as everyone who has used more than one software has noticed that everything works differently to get to the same work product.  Understanding why these differences in softwares exist, and realizing why and how some softwares are better than others for specific tasks can help to improve efficiency and help the engineer or architect understand the topic better.

Blog 1 - AI, Computer, Software, Future_Kunlun Ren

In recent years, interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has surged. Since 2011, more and more technology companies, such as IBM, Facebook, Google, Tencent, Alibaba, etc., have made many efforts to ensure their competitive position in the field of AI. Back to 1956, when the term "artificial intelligence" was first coined at a conference at Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, it was hard for people to imagine how AI has changed the present lives of people, just as it is hard for us to imagine the future. Nowadays, people are using the self-service check-in system since face recognition technology was rolled out in Chinese railway system. More people are driving autonomous vehicles in some big cities in China. There is no doubt that the lives in future will be changed dramatically by AI.

Some of the important concerns about the future of AI is on computer technology and software development. Many of the tech companies already begun to develop the computer to the next generation to make it more like a human's brain, which means that the computer should collect surrounding information from the world and make choices to react on the information. The scientists and engineers are rethinking "the very nature of computers and are building machines that look more like the human brain, where a central brain stem oversees the nervous system and offloads particular tasks — like hearing and seeing — to the surrounding cortex[2]."

Just as how the AI will change the computers, AI will also become a primary factor of software development. "AI is already starting to impact all aspects of the software development lifecycle, from the upfront conceptualization of the software to development, testing, deployment and ongoing maintenance[3]."  AI will help the software engineers and testers to work more efficiently and more accurately. Meanwhile, engineers and testers can make better-functioned software with AI. There is a predictable future where software can even write new software by itself with the help of AI.

References:
[1] Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer, A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence, Dec 4, 2014,
https://www.livescience.com/49007-history-of-artificial-intelligence.html
[2] Cade Metz, Chips Off the Old Block: Computers Are Taking Design Cues From Human Brains, Sept. 16, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/16/technology/chips-off-the-old-block-computers-are-taking-design-cues-from-human-brains.html
[3] Alex Robbio, How Will AI Impact Software Development? Aug 31, 2017,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2017/08/31/how-will-ai-impact-software-development/#4423c746264d

Comments:

To Richard Kimball
I agree that the security problems and privacy issues will be big challenge in the AI development. As you mentioned, AI relies on analysing collected data and both the collecting and analysing process can easily be weak points for hackers. Some people would argue that is it possible that people can also develop security AI which is specially designed to deal with hackers. I have to admit that this will be very hard to achieve. Imagine the AI can even be finally developed as smart as a human brain, but how many times we are fooled and cheated with our smart brains?

To Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira
It is quite exciting to see how much the technologies have changed the building activities. And it is exciting to imagine the benefits will be brought with BIM technology along with AI and robots. Just as the BIM helped each process in a building lifecycle, in the future, the AI maybe can also be applied in each process to ensure the quality of human's work and the quality of the building.

To Harvin Bhandal
It is an important concern that the AI will not only bring people benefits but also challenges. Nowadays, more and more people are starting to worry about themselves being replaced by AI and robots. I still remembered that when Alibaba, a technology company in China, opened the first AI operated self-service store, there are much more people complained and criticized than those who supported and felt excited. Most people worried about the safety and pravicy problems and worried about with more this kind of store opened, they would lose their jobs. I totally agree that the governments all over the world should do something to ensure the technology will be developed appropriately.

Blog 1: The future with technology, AI, and software

The future is out there in the unknow space. We don’t really know what will happen but one thing is for sure, our future will be influenced by the technology. Looking 30 years back most people were not aware of how the internet and computers would be a normal part of our lives as it is today. But some people in the tech business has an idea of what the future could look like in 30 years ahead. One of the things almost everyone in the article “What will tech look like in 2039” agrees on is that Artificial Intelligent (AI) will be a bigger part of everyone’s lives in the future. Rajen Sheth compares what AI will do to our society with what the industrial revolution did in the 1800-century.

“The Industrial Revolution magnified the human's physical ability and made it so that you can actually build more capable products and replicate them at a faster rate. I think AI is the same for people's mental abilities”. [1]

The technology and the especially AI will not only influence our lives at home but especially at our jobs. The architectural field is one of places where technology and software now have replaced some of the jobs. Their work have become easier at some point, faster, and can secure more precision. A 3D printers can build a physical model quickly compared to a handcraft model. A digital model of buildings can make it easier to find collisions and change details in the buildings. Also rendering is used to create a presentable picture of the building which is a big part of winning an architectural competition and thereby get the project. This is just some of the examples of how software and technology influences a job field like the architects. [2]

With the influence of the technology in the working fields to develop peoples both mentally and physical  abilities, it will also mean that there is a greater need for people in the tech industry than ever before. Two-third of the Americans don’t have a four years degree and their jobs can be threaten be the technology. As written in the article “Are robots coming for your job? Eventually yes”:  “In 2030 up to a third of the Americans work force will have to switch to new occupations”. That is a huge challenge for the society. The college Holberton school in San Francisco has made an alternative school which can be a part of the solution for the challenge of getting more people in the tech industry. They have made a public-privat partnership which offers a two year college software engineering program without tuition. Instead, when the graduates get a job they will have to pay back the school 17 percent of their salary for three year. By this program they hope that it will be easier to attract students into the tech business and thereby be a part of the solution for the challenge of getting a third of the Americans work force to switch to the tech business and be prepared for the future in technology. [3]

References:

[1] Rob Marvin, "What tech will look like in 2039", PCMag, January 3 2019

[2]  Christine, "Software for architects: The must-have tool for the trade" http://smarterware.org/2018/11/software-for-architects-the-must-have-tools-of-the-trade/, November 12 2018
[3] Steve Lohr, "Are robots coming for your job? Eventually yes", New York Times, September 21 2018 

Comments on other blogpost:

Harvi Bhandal: 

I agree that it is very important that we need to have some principles like Google have developed to secure that the society benifits from using AI. It seems like it can be dangerous if we don't know how to use AI correct and If we don't have clear laws about it. I know from one of my friends in Denmark who wrote his master thesis at law school about AI, that it is a field which is not clear yet. I therefore think that is also a part of the tech future which has to be developed. 

Weiyi Tang:

I think there is a good point in how intelligent buildings in relation to the HVAC systems can be optimized to reduce the energy use and thereby be a part of the solution of the environmental challenges. It is the use stage of a building which contributes to the larges amount of CO2 emissions in the lifetime of the building. And as you said 40% of the greenhouse gasses is produced by buildings. So using less energy in buildings will have a huge impact on the total emission greenhouse gasses and thereby a huge impact of future of the earth.

Unknown - The future of sociology, databases, and networking: 

Very interesting blog post! One of the things that really comes into my mind is; what it will do to us, as human beings, if the internet is our only network. Will we then be lonely or is the network on the internet enough for us to satisfy our social needs. 
One of the other things that got me thinking, was the last part about that we don't need to hand in a job application ourselves but it will be send online. Will we then be jugde only by how we are writting and our behavior on the internet? We know how much a first impression can mean for us. So how will we look at eachother if the first impression comes from the internet or a database. Will we then be able to how people really are? I think that is also very interesting to think about in relation to sociology, databases and networking in the future.

Blog 1, Week 2: AI,Computer,Software, Future: Harvin Bhandal

As discussed in class, we are currently in the midst of a technological revolution. Previous industrial revolutions saw the emergence of steam engines, electricity and computers and now, the use of artificial intelligence in everyday life is imminent. Most technology now uses some form of AI and its use in the future is extremely promising, as the software is able to adapt and deeply learn in specific domains. Most of its applications boasts an increase in efficiency and cost. For example, an autonomous car, when working perfectly can improve traffic safety and costs.

One concern about application of AI technology in society is the risk of decreasing jobs, as it is believed that autonomous machines can perform better than humans in virtually every facet.. However, the TIME article by Kai-Fu Lee suggests otherwise. Lee states that at least 4 job types are completely safe from the AI revolution: creative jobs (inventor, scientist), strategic jobs (executives), jobs that will be created by AI, and jobs of compassion (nursery, doctors, etc). While job security in these sectors will be safe, there are still other risks that AI poses such as privacy. As we have already seen with Facebook and other companies, AI can be used and manipulated to leak information about users such as personal details and logistics to unwanted parties [1]. These are real concerns, and I believe that they will keep happening until governments all over the world can agree on best practices to use AI on and enforce them.

In “What Tech WIll Look like in 2039”, most interviewees predict that use of AI and Augmented Reality will exponentially increase in 20 years time. One interesting take by Freeman Dyson expressed his idea of “hacking biology”. Dyson equates everything on Earth, even life itself to code, and something people will be able to change and manipulate using technology. Advancement in gene modification and synthetic biology are all just different forms of programming [3]

Software that utilizes AI technology definitely holds a promising position in the future. I believe that use of this technology should be regulated to ensure that it benefits society and is not used maliciously. Rajen Sheth, director of Google’s machine learning team, agrees with this idea as well, and google recently published “AI Principles” which essentially serve as a “constitution” for implementing AI [3]. The principles themselves state that they will be updated as technology advances and holds its number one value to be socially beneficial. [2]

[1]Lee, Kai-Fu. “Artificial Intelligence Is Powerful. How To Protect Workers.” Time, Time, 11 Jan. 2019, time.com/5501056/artificial-intelligence-protect-workers/.

[2] Pichai, Sundar. “AI at Google: our principles.” 7 Jun. 2018.
https://www.blog.google/technology/ai/ai-principles/


[3] “What Tech Will Look Like in 2019.” PCMag, 3 Jan. 2019. https://www.evernote.com/pub/aengineer/ae-510#st=p&x=software&n=e1854797-c0a4-495f-aa29-0972989fb917

Comments:

To Nick Maloney

Nick, I agree that the construction sector is in no means neglected by the advancements in AI technology and additive manufacturing. On paper, they do seem like a match made in heaven. It is apparent, however that automating many of these processes which previously required skilled individuals would cause a reduction in jobs, which you have addressed. An article from TIME that I read stated that there would be a great number of new jobs that would be generated by the AI revolution so I wonder what types of new jobs would fall in the construction industry. I think it would be hard to determine until the technology has been implemented and is effects have been documented. Overall, I think you brought up really valid points and it is very true that labor unions may dictate the progress that these advancements are made.

To Nana Lin Rasmussen

Nana, I learned a whole lot about the direction the 3d printing industry is going from reading your post. I initially thought the developments for 3d printing other objects other than plastic was quite far away, but it was interesting to learn that concrete and metal 3d printing have been worked on for years already, and are in the process of being implemented. The idea of using 3d printing to build affordable housing is such a great humanitarian deed and it’s always nice to see developers using their technology to benefit society. I also think that the increase in this technology could open up more jobs and influence people to learn 3d modeling programs.

To Alec Silverstone

Alec, this was a great read and you presented very interesting takes. It made me wonder exactly if there were any studies done to show how many people in fact were connected to the internet. According to Wikipedia, approximately 55% of the world’s population is connected to the internet. That is a substantial amount of people and that number is sure to grow. In terms of data collection and privacy infringement, I agree with what you said that it is simply something we have to accept with the coming technology. In fact, certain companies collecting data could make for a more user-friendly experience when using their platforms. For example, how Amazon or YouTube can tailor their home pages based on the things you like. However, this definitely could become an issue if certain private info, such as bank accounts are easily-retrieved.

B1 - Facebook, Fear, and the "Black Box" of AI

In the age of smartphones, automated vehicles, and even microwaves that connect to the internet, it is almost natural to get caught up in buzzwords and popular terminology such as AI, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, etc. While these terms likely mean little to many Americans, it is becoming rare to meet someone who does not own a smartphone which inherently utilizes software that incorporates the buzzwords that mean so little to those people and simultaneously allow smartphones to perform to their full potential such as mapping services like Google Maps or voice-assist capabilities like Siri, Cortana, and Google Assistant.

With such advanced capabilities in a constantly expanding and ever accelerating field, it is fair to question or even be concerned by what is actually taking place. Of course, major leaks in information such as Facebook’s data leak to political consultant Cambridge Analytica, which resulted in the improper data leakage of approximately 87 million users to a company employed by a 2016 United States presidential candidate, only add fuel to the fire of paranoia and fear among the public regarding privacy, data, and shared information. In episode #109 (entitled: Is Facebook Spying on You? [1] ) of the Gimlet Media podcast about the internet, Reply All, hosts Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt discuss the daunting reality of how much information websites like Facebook actually have on their users. The basic thesis of the episode is that, while to many users of Facebook it may seem like the social media platform listens to users through their smartphone microphones, in turn allowing them to place timely and well-targeted ads based on user’s recent interests, discussions, or purchases, it simply doesn’t need to based on all the information they already gather through other means. One basic example of this is a feature called Facebook Pixel, which is basically a way that Facebook can track what its users are doing all over the internet, even when not on Facebook. In the words of host Alex Goldman:

[Facebook Pixel is] installed on millions of websites. So when you go to one of these sites with Facebook Pixel on it, it watches what you do and reports that information back to Facebook. It can see how long you linger on a certain webpage, it can see if you purchase something, it can see if you put something in your cart on a website and decide not to buy it. It’s kind of like an internet surveillance camera. [1]

So, just with Pixel, Facebook can target ads to users based on the data it collects about what websites they’ve been on recently, what purchases they plan on making, what travel they plan on making, etc. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Facebook, among many companies that employ artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc. likely has such intensely layered, complex algorithms at play on the back end of their software, that it’s very possible that the vast majority of employees at Facebook don’t necessarily know how it all exactly works. So while companies like Facebook are notoriously private about how their algorithms and machine learning actually work, it’s very possible that they likely just don’t know, in an entirely comprehensive way, how things work.

So along with privacy issues, the idea of artificial intelligence being a “Black Box,” namely, the idea that data goes in one end and some desired output comes out another end without being entirely sure how it all happened, has certainly seeped into the public sentiment and general fear regarding AI. Already we see this fear of the unknown having tangible effects on the public; a report by AI Now Institute “recommended that public agencies responsible for criminal justice, health care, welfare, and education shouldn’t use such technology.” [2]  While varied in form, I believe the general “Black Box” fear boils down to the idea that computers, and in particular AI, are so advanced and integrated into our everyday lives and we have such a limited understanding as to how any of it actually produces the outputs that it does, that the consequences that can evolve from our lack of understanding as humans could one day have devastating effects, especially as AI continues to progress and software continues to accelerate its rate of learning.

So is this fear, namely, that AI’s seemingly magical and incredibly convoluted methods of producing wide-ranging results could potentially be dangerous or even devastating to society as a whole, valid? Should we run from the “black box” of artificial intelligence and the software that it produces? In my opinion, and the opinion of New York Times journalist, Vijay Pande, no. While in the world of science-fiction, computer learning naturally leads to the enslaving of humans, the lack of knowledge regarding AI and machine-learning processes, should really be seen as something more human than a computer. Just take a moment to think about how many decisions you make every day that you don’t fully understand. As Pande explains:

But we make decisions in areas that we don’t fully understand every day — often very successfully — from the predicted economic impacts of policies to weather forecasts to the ways in which we approach much of science in the first place. We either oversimplify things or accept that they’re too complex for us to break down linearly, let alone explain fully. It’s just like the black box of A.I.: Human intelligence can reason and make arguments for a given conclusion, but it can’t explain the complex, underlying basis for how we arrived at a particular conclusion. [3]

Thinking about human intelligence as a “black box” it actually could be reasoned that AI is actually more transparent than much of human knowledge. In contrast to the human mind, decisions and biases can be outright analyzed and scrutinized within the world of artificial intelligence, and as bugs and gaps are found and refined, more insight into the reasoning of AI can be uncovered. So while the unknown may seem daunting, I personally don’t see the growth of Artificial Intelligence as anything to fear.


Comments on other posts:

Christian, I found your post very intriguing. The prospect of being able to 3D print structures would not only be a breakthrough from a structural/materials point of view, but also from a "constructability" point of view. Construction costs and times would be slashed which would drive productivity immensely. Obviously, as the tech progresses, interesting new issues would have to be addressed such as what will happen to the construction management industry and a host of additions and potential amendments to standardized codes. While highly impractical, I think it would be interesting to create a small city of entirely 3D printed residential homes as a sort of "experiment" to see how the life cycle of the structures would hold up. All in all, a very interesting topic. 

Gabe, I found your point on the last article it really interesting, as it touches on an interesting subject regarding the future, and how our society will adapt with technology. One example of how we might not properly adapt is what is called the "Automation Paradox" which is basically the idea that while tasks like driving, calculating, etc. become more and more automated, we lose the need to perform any of those tasks on our own and eventually ignore them entirely. This becomes a serious problem when technology may fail or malfunction, especially in times where quick decision making is the difference between life and death. Take automated cars for example. If we forget to drive all together imagine if the car began to malfunction while inside and the difference between life and death was simply knowing the basics of driving. That's not to say that we should avoid or fear automation/technology, but rather, we should use it as a means of progression, not as a crutch.

Nick, this is really fascinating stuff. The prospect of 3D printing structures on other planets is mind-boggling and incredibly ambitious, yet I feel as though it is also a really practical implementation of the technology. Similar to what you said, while new technologies always bring upon disruption of the current labor force, they also bring upon new jobs that don't exist yet, careers that we can't even think about because they don't exist yet.

Sources:
[1] Goldman, Alex, host. "Is Facebook Spying on You?" Reply All, Glimet Media, 2 Nov. 2017. https://www.gimletmedia.com/reply-all/109-facebook-spying.

[2] Knight, Will. "There’s A Big Problem With AI: Even Its Creators Can’t Explain How It Works." MIT Technology Review. N. p., 2019. Web. 11 Jan. 2019.

[3] Pande, Vijay. "Opinion | Artificial Intelligence’s ‘Black Box’ Is Nothing To Fear." Nytimes.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 11 Jan. 2019.

Blog 1: Discussion of Articles: Gabriel Grajewski

Cade Metz, Big Bets on A.I. Open a New Frontier for Chip Start-Ups, NY Times, January 14, 2018; Tags: 2018, AI, business, computer, neural network; The technology could lead to automated building management optimization, among many other tasks that AI could aid. The article was published in early 2018 and predicted the first chips designed for AI would hit in a year, so we will soon see how big of an impact they have and how quickly they will be adopted. Regardless of initial impact, it seems clear from the amount of big name companies investing large amounts of money in AI that it will soon be key to modern technology.

Steve Alexander, U, Google pioneer 3-D smartphone mapping software, Star Tribune, March 15, 2014; Tags: software, mapping; The technology could easily be used to map existing conditions of a building to be renovated/removed. Update: A video shown in class depicted a robot that surveyed a building during construction, (The B1M, The Construction Robots are Coming, YouTube, May 30, 2018). This shows how far the technology has advanced in 4 years. As someone who has helped survey buildings, I believe that robots will quickly replace humans in this task since they are not limited by the same physical constraints as people (maneuverability, high temperatures in mechanical spaces, less prone to error).

Harry Ridgewell, What will the future of work look like?, WikiTribune, July 9, 2018; Tags: 2018, future, AI, sociology, job;  The expected downsides of automation include job loss in the lower and middle classes, particularly developing countries, increased income inequality, those who lose their jobs will need education to move up to possible new jobs, and it seems unlikely that an equal number of these new jobs will be created. Furthermore, “change is happening ten times faster than in the first [industrial revolution]”. I find this article very concerning because I agree that automation will create job losses but do not believe that most of society will take the necessary steps to lessen the negative impact that comes with automation.

Summary:
Most articles with a “future” tag also have an “AI” tag. It seems to indicate that people see AI as an important variable in determining the future. Naturally, AI, software, and computers are all related, but it seems that the big change in the future will be built around AI. These advances in technology are certain to revolutionize the building industry, but there will be negative outcomes of that revolution in the form of jobs replaced by AI.

                                                                                                                                                                   

Nicholas Maloney:

Your blog taught me more about the current state and expected future of 3D printing in construction. I was surprised by how capable this technology has become. But it also made me wonder what current limitations exist for this technology. While it is possible to 3D print a building, how much can the mix for the concrete change before it would no longer work? If the cement or aggregate is unique to the company that creates the printer or even uncommon, the raw material would have to be shipped on site at a high cost. A unique kind of cement could also limit the weather conditions the printer can work in or release more greenhouse gases while curing than ordinary concrete. the geometry of the site could also make it difficult to bring a 3D printer on site and operate it (ie sloped sites, size of the equipment).

Alec Silverstone:

I agree that there are tremendous opportunities with big data, but I believe that it creates a vulnerability that everyday people try to ignore for one reason or another. We have seen various databases be hacked and even more worryingly, negligence has allowed big data to be misused by those who own it. While I doubt that data will ever be unhackable, I think that the cost of a data breach has not been fully considered when organizations invest in cybersecurity. Likewise, organizations’ use of data should be closely monitored.

About This Blog

AE-410/510 is a course primarily for Seniors and Graduate Students in Architectural Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA.  We consider the uses of Information Technology on the Design, Construction and Operation of buildings, hence the course title: Intelligent Buildings.

This blog is created by students in the course responding to assignments and class exercises.  Use the "Labels" on the right to see the work of individual students OR the topics on which they've written.

The syllabus for the course is available from the "Pages" link.