The National Academy of Engineering has wrapped up its 2025 Annual Meeting, which was dedicated to Artificial Intelligence.
According to the NAE press release, as the organization continues to promote engineering excellence, the 2025 Annual Meeting underscored the profession’s duty to steer emerging AI technologies for the good of humanity.
The event focused on the theme “Our Future with Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Risks.” It showcased how engineering leadership and innovation influence future technologies and their societal effects.
During the meeting, NAE member Yannis C. Yortsos, Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, gave a plenary talk titled “AI and Engineering Education.”
He discussed AI as a transformative force in higher education, highlighting enduring foundational principles alongside the evolving skills necessary for effective interaction with AI technologies.
Yortsos also considered how universities might adjust teaching and learning to keep pace with rapid technological changes.
The plenary was followed by the technical forum, “Our Future with Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Risks,” which included a panel and Q&A moderated by Deanne Bell, founder of Future Engineers.
Panelists were Brian Cunningham from FoundationaLLM.ai, focusing on AI Governance and Ethics; Sanjeev Mohindra from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, discussing AI for Societal Good; and Mitchell Schnall from the University of Pennsylvania Health System, addressing AI’s role in advancing wellbeing.
The panelists emphasized both AI’s transformative possibilities and its complex societal challenges. They talked about the necessity for ethical frameworks and governance, AI’s potential to tackle urgent social and health issues, and the importance of creating systems that are fair and trustworthy.
The speakers stressed that achieving the benefits of AI demands careful human oversight and continuous adaptation to technological progress.
The annual meeting brought together engineering leaders, along with their families and friends, in Washington, DC, on October 5–6 to celebrate the induction of 129 new members and 21 new international members.
The NAE Class of 2025 induction ceremony recognized the exceptional accomplishments of the newly elected members and international members as they were officially welcomed into the Academy. NAE Chair James O. Ellis Jr. presented the Chair’s Remarks, followed by NAE President Tsu-Jae Liu, who delivered her first President’s Address at the Annual Meeting.
Liu highlighted that “NAE members are ambassadors for engineering, who can not only illuminate but also personalize engineering’s technical achievements, as well as their broader impacts on society,” stressing to new members that NAE membership represents not only a mark of distinction but also a commitment to service.
After the induction ceremony, NAE member Lt. Gen (Ret) Thomas Bostick gave the sixth annual Special Lecture on Engineering and Society.
His talk, “Engineering Leadership for Nation and Nature,” explored the role of engineering leadership in tackling challenges that influence both national interests and the natural environment.
Drawing from his leadership experience with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and his work in biotechnological innovation, Bostick underscored the importance of strategic planning, talent cultivation, and preparing future leaders who blend technical skill with ethical decision-making and systems thinking to steer society through both crises and stability.