IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1542698
22 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2026 Adaptation Is the New AI Advantage A LinkedIn comment from a sharp HR acquaintance who helped me through the hiring process at my new company stopped me mid- scroll because it aligned perfectly with a theme running through this debut issue of I-Connect007 Magazine. She wrote: "AI suddenly knows more than all of us, instantly. It can explain things, but it can't do them. It isn't unique, and you can't auto- mate presence. Knowledge may no longer be power; adaptation is." That thought has surfaced repeatedly in recent conversations, especially those surrounding artifi- cial intelligence and its expanding role in printed circuit board design. There is no shortage of excitement—or anxiety. We are seeing legitimate breakthroughs, including autonomous layout initiatives like Quilter's Project Speedrun, a physics-driven AI approach that has already demonstrated the ability to design a fairly complex PCB. It leads one to ask: Will AI take my job? The answer has less to do with technology than perspective. Age, culture, and experience shape how that question lands. For some, it reflects gen- uine uncertainty. For others, it feels overstated. What differs is not awareness of AI, but how its role is interpreted as either a threat, a tool, or simply the next evolution of the workflow. Feature Column BY KELLY DACK , CIT, CID+ TA RG E T C O N D IT I O N