Bridges and Biases: How LLMs Are Learning to Inspect Infrastructure
In an age where aging infrastructure meets accelerating AI, a new paper out of George Mason University proposes a novel question: Can large language models interpret what even seasoned engineers find difficult — NDE contour maps of bridges? The answer, based on this pilot study, is a cautious but resounding yes — with caveats that echo through the entire field of AI-assisted engineering. The Problem: Data Is There — Expertise Isn’t Always Bridges are scanned using advanced non-destructive evaluation (NDE) tools — Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electrical Resistivity (ER), Impact Echo (IE), and Ultrasonic Surface Waves (USW) — but interpreting those outputs requires human expertise, which is not always available, especially during emergency assessments or in rural areas. Contour maps from these tools don’t speak for themselves. ...