Initial Thoughts About AI

Artificial Intelligence…..Just two simple words but shifted my career goals, plans, and how do I should tackle different capabilities in various fields: coding, automation, database languages, digitization, and migration projects leadership. The more I realize the power of AI, the more I get afraid of the huge responsibility that will be required from me to put an effort in order to make living in the future. I realized that time is the key. The faster rate of my response to AI, by that I will be in a better leadership position. Therefore, I believe AI will be a core function in the manufacturing automation process in any industry. At the same time, I see AI not only as a challenge but as an opportunity but rather a tool that can amplify human potential when used wisely. By embracing continuous learning and adapting quickly, I feel more confident that I can be part of shaping the future rather than being shaped by it. In the upcoming sections, I will be introducing two interviewees – respectively- one of them is Mariam O****, a demand planner in Procter & Gamble, and the other is Mohamed El-Gebally who is a manufacturing site leader in P&G as well.

Interview Questions Part I:

1. How is AI currently being used in your demand planning processes, and which parts of the forecasting workflow have seen the biggest improvements because of it?

“So, regarding our SOP, from our side, we are still not utilizing AI in our daily procedures when it comes to forecasting volumes. However, the AI is definitely included in the backend of the software of the third part vendors for which we need their input in forecasting MSUs”

2. Looking ahead five to ten years, how do you feel AI will reshape the role of demand planners at companies like P&G? Do you see it as more of an opportunity, a challenge, or both?

“Actually, I am part of a global team right now who is working on setting this exact vision for sustainable unbiased forecasting system. So, instead of outsourcing our AI agent to be part of ChatGPT, what we are doing is building an AI agent, 100% P&Ger, so that we rely on it in multiple functions such as forecasting, and reports generation”

3. If the demand planning team is 10 to 12 members, aren’t you afraid is that this vision would lower the number of required employees, and might result in a huge layoff as Amazon for example?”

“100% right, however, I believe that P&G won’t do as what Amazon did two to three weeks ago, because P&G is actually qualifying each employee to be technically qualified in basics, intermediate, and advanced data ana analytical skills. SO I believe the demand planners will be able to change assignments by that time to another roles in managing the AI itself instead of the manual work being done right now.”

Interview Questions Part II:

1. Are you currently using AI in any of the manufacturing processes in P&G?

“No we are not using AI at all in the manufacturing field, because up till now cannot be trusted in measuring, precisely for example, the amount of required raw materials to have a product that is used for HairCare, ShaveCare, FemCare, and BabyCare. These P&G products are too sensitive because they do have a direct contact with the body for which the AI cannot be fully trusted in this phase. However, Globally, P&G is using AI in developing codes for high technological robotic arms helping in the industrial operations. However, in Egypt, we are totally dependent on semi-automated machines for its low cost and there is no ways for using AI for them”

2. Since you have been one of the manufacturing automation leaders. Is the company planning to inform the consumer that this product had been developed using the AI in its automation process?

“I cannot predict what the company will be doing actually but I am trusting the company PEAK performance factors and of its values if INTEGRITY. So I believe the company should be totally transparent with the consumer if such fully AI automated product is manufactured in the future.”

3. How do you think Mechanical Engineering graduates should be ready for that near future? Do you think this is soon or not?

“Actually my daughter is going to graduate from high school in three years from now, and I am hesitant about should I advise her to pursue as a career, so I believe this in the very near future. For MENG graduates, they need to familiarize themselves with the basics of coding skills because that would be like basic literacy skills of reading, and writing in the upcoming 10 years, I cannot imaging a future manufacturing MENG leader who cannot code in 2035.”

Final Reflection

 After conducting both interviews as one with a demand planner and the other with a manufacturing site leader, it became clear that a general sense of caution, and even fear, exists across both operational and office-based roles when it comes to the future of AI. What stood out to me the most is that this concern is not limited to one department, one job level, or one type of work. Whether it was Mariam discussing the potential of AI displacing demand planning roles, or El-Gebally expressing doubts about trusting AI with highly sensitive manufacturing processes, both interviewees demonstrated a shared uncertainty about how rapidly AI will reshape their fields. What I found particularly interesting is that their concerns aligned almost perfectly with the feelings I had documented in my initial thoughts before interviewing them. My personal reflection already acknowledged the pressure, the responsibility, and the need for speed in adapting to AI. Hearing both professionals share similar worries about job security, reliability, ethical transparency, or future skill requirements confirmed that my perspective wasn’t biased or exaggerated. Instead, it reflected a broader, collective uncertainty that is becoming common among professionals in industries undergoing digital transformation. What I am actually looking forward to is continuing my strategy in out of Mechanical Engineering scope development in various set of coding skills. AI future needs high sense of adaptability, and coping skills required to cope with the career and research pace.

Important Note

1. Kindly note that some – not all – of the questions’ ideas asked in the interview were AI assisted. However, in some situations during the interveiw itself, I had to ask questions to fullfill my curiosuty, and to critically challenge the interviewee out of the scope of AI questions.Here is the prompt given to ChatGPT model GPT 5.1 “I am having an interview with two individuals working in the Supply Chain field in one of the multinational companies [Procter & Gamble], one of them is working in the demand planning department, and the other in the digitization field. So, input me with three to four questions about the use of AI, and how do they use it in their field, also ask about their feelings, thoughts in the future and the prespective of them towards the future of AI ?” .Here is the link to the chat response with chatGPT regarding the questions used.
2. I also asked chatGPT – same model – about the future of AI within the fields of the intervieww expertise. Here is the prompt “To what extent do you think AI will be develoepd in the future of Mechanical Engineering especially in the demand forecasting field, and the manufacturing industry as well ?” Here is the link to the chat response with chatGPT regarding the questions used.