AI Agents in Engineering: Building Tools That Actually Work

Engineering has a data problem, but not the one you'd expect.

We're not short of data. We're sitting on years of it: design standards, calculation templates, failure mode libraries, lessons learned, drawing registers, project archives. The trouble is that most of it is locked away in PDFs, spreadsheets, network drives and people's heads, not in a form that engineers can easily reach for when they need it most.

AI agents change that. When you connect a well-designed agent to your structured business data, you get something genuinely new: a tool that performs repeatable engineering tasks with consistent quality, references the right standards every time, and frees your engineers to focus on the work that actually needs human judgement.

But, and this is the part most people skip, building agents that are safe, predictable and trustworthy in a regulated engineering environment is not the same as building a chatbot. It takes a deliberate approach.

That's what this evening is about.

What we'll cover

A year on from our last event, we're going much deeper. Last year we showcased what was possible. This year we'll show you what we've actually built, how it works, and how you can build the same.

You'll leave understanding:

• How structured business data turns generic AI into a reliable engineering tool, and why most off-the-shelf AI tools fall short for technical work
• The agents we use day-to-day at Subco, including our drawing checker, FMECA reviewer, and calculation checker. What they do, what data they draw on, and what they've replaced
• The tech stack: the platforms, models, databases and orchestration tools that make agents possible without a team of ML engineers
• How to build agents safely, including evals, guardrails, human-in-the-loop checkpoints, and the practical safeguards that keep an agent from going off-piste in a regulated environment
• A live agent build, where we'll create a working agent from scratch in front of you, so you can see exactly what's involved

Hear from the panel

Following the talk and live build, we'll be joined by a panel of industry voices to dig into the practical questions: where AI actually fits in your business, what the implementation challenges look like from the buyer's side, and what to be cautious of. Expect a mix of pre-prepared questions and questions from the floor. Panel members to be confirmed.

The format

• 17:00 Doors open, drinks
• 17:30 Welcome and main talk: AI Agents in Engineering
• 18:00 Live agent build, from scratch, in front of you
• 18:20 Panel discussion
• 18:45 Q&A from the floor
• 19:00 Pizza, drinks and networking
• 20:00 Close

Who should come

This event is for engineering leaders wondering where AI actually fits in their business, and for hands-on engineers who want to understand how these tools are built and how to use them well. No prior AI experience needed; we'll meet you wherever you are.

Practical details

📍 The Haylofts, 5 St Thomas Street, Newcastle, NE1 4LE 🗓️ Wednesday 20th May 2026 🕔 17:00 to 20:00 🍕 Pizza, snacks and drinks included 🎟️ Limited spaces, registration required