Feature in The Chemical Engineer: Teams of intelligent agents

The Chemical Engineer, the magazine of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), published Artur's feature article "Teams of Intelligent Agents: The Next Step for Chemical Engineering" on 29 January 2026 (February 2026 issue).

The article explains how multi-agent systems based on large language models can support engineers in the design and operation of chemical plants. Instead of a single AI model, the work is divided among specialized agents that interact like an engineering team. Because chemical engineering is multi-scale and multi-disciplinary, it is a natural fit for this approach.

The article discusses three application areas: process design across thermodynamics, economics and life-cycle impact; plant operation; and safety work such as HAZOP support and cost estimation from P&IDs. Agents that discuss, challenge each other's conclusions and correct themselves also leave a transparent record of how a decision was reached. Engineers remain in charge and supervise their digital teammates.

Read the article on thechemicalengineer.com. The scientific background is in our review Multi-agent systems for chemical engineering: a review and perspective and on our multi-agent systems research page.