KERNTAKT

Building with AI

Three KERNTAKT members working together at a table with laptops.
The Karlsruhe Branch working on the ADLER prototype.

Artificial intelligence is changing how engineering is done, and KERNTAKT is exploring that change by putting it into practice.

Across its systems, KERNTAKT integrates AI into the development process where it provides a clear practical benefit. Tools such as OpenAI's Codex in ChatGPT help its members prototype and review software, conduct research, produce documentation, and explore technical ideas.

KERNTAKT's use of these tools also extends beyond traditional software development. Its members have used Codex to generate parametric CAD models in Python with build123d, turning design ideas into reproducible models that can be reviewed, adjusted, and manufactured.

To make that process more structured, KERNTAKT uses Text-to-CAD, an open-source library of agent skills for CAD. It gives Codex a STEP-first workflow for turning natural-language requirements into parametric build123d models, inspecting and validating their geometry, and exporting files for further review and manufacturing. Members are able to move from a description of a part to inspectable CAD artifacts while keeping engineering decisions and verification in their hands.

This changes how KERNTAKT approaches systems such as ADLER. Instead of treating AI only as a feature that might eventually be added to a system, the organization uses it as part of the process of building the system itself.

That does not remove the engineer from the process. KERNTAKT's members still define the problems, choose the architecture, make engineering decisions, review implementations, and verify that the final system actually works. AI allows them to spend less time on mechanical work and more time experimenting, evaluating, and iterating.

KERNTAKT believes that knowing how to collaborate effectively with intelligent tools will become an increasingly important engineering skill and develops that skill in practice by using these tools to build real systems.

AI is not a shortcut around engineering. It is becoming part of engineering, and KERNTAKT intends to help shape how it is used.