Thought Leadership

Integrating AI into Aerospace Simulation

The capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) have advanced exponentially in recent years, resulting in new engineering applications throughout multiple industries. One application that can be of great benefit to engineers is AI-based deep-physics simulation, where AI’s ability to train itself on vast quantities of data can enhance performance prediction and optimize solutions. Integrating AI in this manner has the potential to change the way how products are designed and engineered.

Aerospace and defense (A&D) is an industry that can especially benefit from AI-driven simulation. For years, simulation has already been a valuable tool in aerospace engineering. From airplanes to manned rockets, aerospace products experience some of the most intense physical conditions in the world, and simulation has been proven essential in ensuring such products are able to withstand them. Yet as new innovations are developed as industry demands become more rigorous, integrating AI can be just as valuable for A&D companies’ success in the near future.

Evolving simulation

As mentioned earlier, the AI’s potential to revolutionize simulation comes from its ability to use enormous amounts of data to improve a simulation’s predictive capabilities and optimize simulated products based on the results. The key to this lies in having a large geometry model (LGM) trained with high-fidelity data.

An LGM can be trained with tens of millions of different geometries and their associated physics simulations. This data can include tens of billions of mesh elements and tens of thousands of simulations on everything from computational fluid dynamics to finite element analysis. With such an immense trove of data at its disposal, AI can be trusted to carry out highly detailed, physics-based simulations and optimizations.

Aerospace engineers can train such deep learning models and use them to optimize and, perhaps even generate, aerospace components based on industry-specific factors. These factors can include aero performance, flight stability, and structural stress. Additionally, traditional numerical simulations have taken hours to complete, but AI-driven simulations can be completed in a matter of seconds, giving engineers more time to process results a refine their product even further.

The need for AI in aerospace

Introducing AI into aerospace simulations and engineering processes cannot come at a better time, as there are many innovations across the industry being developed. New commercial aircraft frames and propulsion systems are being explored to increase aviation sustainability. Advancements in rockets and space launch systems provide the opportunity to expand humanity’s presence in the solar system. New aerospace technologies with their own complex design considerations are abound, and AI-driven simulation can help turn them into reality sooner rather than later.

This is especially important as industry demands become more and more pressing. As these technologies are being developed, A&D companies are simultaneously facing pressure to reduce costs, make their workforce more efficient, and bring their products to market faster.

Addressing these demands can be challenging when a company is trying to bring the next generation of aircraft or spacecraft to life, but simulation integrated with AI can help significantly. Simulation reduces the need for redundant physical tests, saving money and resources. Meanwhile, the time saved from AI’s testing speed lets human engineers dedicate for time to critical work, not only helping bring their product to life faster, but also making the product of better quality by the time of release.

A new form of aerospace engineering

While AI’s rise has been incredible over the past few years, the full extent of its capabilities in industrial applications is still being determined. It will likely be many more years before larger, more complex systems or even entire aircraft can be generated by AI.

Yet its potential utilization in the near term shows great promise. Its ability to train itself on vast quantities of data in record periods of time has significant potential to revolutionize aerospace simulation in ways that gets the next generation of aircraft and spacecraft into the skies faster. All the while, A&D companies can save money and continue leading the way in aerospace innovation.

It will still be some time before AI can be utilized to its full potential, but it is already transforming aerospace engineering today.

For more information on AI’s role in aerospace simulation and engineering, check out this press release from Siemens, or listen to episodes on the topic on the Talking Aerospace Today podcast.


Siemens Digital Industries Software helps organizations of all sizes digitally transform using software, hardware and services from the Siemens Xcelerator business platform. Siemens’ software and the comprehensive digital twin enable companies to optimize their design, engineering and manufacturing processes to turn today’s ideas into the sustainable products of the future. From chips to entire systems, from product to process, across all industries. Siemens Digital Industries Software – Accelerating transformation.

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/thought-leadership/2025/01/17/integrating-ai-into-aerospace-simulation/