80% of Engineering Work Is About to Change

80% of Engineering Work Is About to Change

Author: Maryrose Lyons August 11, 2026 Duration: 19:48

Andreessen Horowitz has a thesis that every building is still designed by software from the 1990s. Niklas Lindgren agrees, and he is building the company to change it. His claim is blunt: AI is about to change how 70 to 80% of the hours on an engineering project get done.


Niklas is the founder and CEO of Endra, a Stockholm-based AI platform built specifically for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineers. While we don't normally have vendors on the podcast, we made an exception in this case because Endra looks like the Revit killer everyone's been waiting for after all these years. Andreessen Horowitz certainly seems to think so, having invested in the Swedish based AI start up.


In this episode, Niklas walks Maryrose through why MEP has been so slow to change, why jobs are not disappearing even as the work transforms, how firms can build entirely new services on the back of AI, and why outsourced teams are the most exposed. He closes with the one practical step every engineering firm should take this week.


A sharp, grounded conversation about the AI rebuild of the built environment, from someone doing it inside the largest firms in the industry.



In this episode


  • Why MEP engineering has barely changed since the 1990s, and the three layers of complexity that kept it stuck
  • Why Autodesk is a partner, not a competitor
  • What Endra has learned from working with world-class engineering teams
  • Why AI will change 70 to 80% of project hours, and why jobs are going nowhere
  • The new products and pricing firms can build on the back of AI
  • Why outsourced, commoditised work is the most exposed
  • The one practical step every engineering firm should take this week
  • Why this is a people game that takes real time, not a quick pilot


Links



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Maryrose Lyons brings her experience from the AI Institute to Chatting GPT, a podcast that digs into the practical realities of artificial intelligence. Instead of theoretical discussions, these are grounded conversations with the directors, founders, and strategists who are implementing AI solutions right now. You’ll hear from people who have moved their organizations beyond pilot projects into genuine transformation, sharing what worked, what didn’t, and why. The focus often lands on the built environment-exploring how AI is actively reshaping design processes, construction methodologies, and facility management from the studio to the job site. This series is built on the premise that the most valuable lessons come from those with hands-on experience. Each episode unpacks the human decisions behind the technology, offering tangible insights for professionals in technology, business, and education who are navigating their own courses. By listening to this podcast, you gain access to a rare dialogue about applied intelligence, where the conversation is always rooted in real-world execution and impact.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 49

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