“When engineers start trusting AI, what exactly are they trusting?”
In this episode of The Structural Intelligence Podcast, host Owen Keenan sits down with Stijn Jansen, co-founder of VIKTOR, to explore what happens when engineers begin building tools that build themselves. From aerospace engineering to software automation, Stijn explains how VIKTOR enables engineers to replace brittle spreadsheets with custom applications that integrate BIM models, simulation software, and now, AI-generated code.
Together, they unpack one of today’s core tensions in engineering: how do we reconcile the reliability of deterministic systems with the flexibility of AI-driven workflows? If machines now help author our tools, where does responsibility live?
🔑 Key Takeaways:
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – When does automation become too unpredictable to trust?
02:15 – From aerospace engineer to code-curious
05:11 – What is VIKTOR and why build your own tools?
08:52 – Why engineers default to Excel under pressure
13:52 – “Automate the boring, engineer the awesome”
24:38 – Case study – automating the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel design
29:31 – Trusting AI vs trusting deterministic tools
35:59 – Unit tests and verification for engineering apps
41:16 – Connecting BIM, FEA and reports into one workflow
51:10 – When AI agents start acting like colleagues
56:18 – Where engineers should start with automation
59:43 – Outro
🔗 Guest:
Stijn Jansen CPO of VIKTOR
Website: https://www.viktor.ai/
LinkedIn (Company): https://linkedin.com/company/viktor-ai
LinkedIn (Stijn Jansen): https://www.linkedin.com/in/stijn-jansen-viktor
VIKTOR Free account: https://www.viktor.ai/start-now
🎧 Host & Links
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/owenrkeenan
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vcBFpl87NcqpLf0seIRaW
VoiceInspect.ai (AI for inspections): https://www.voiceinspect.ai
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