The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) digital and innovation advisory panel believes that artificial intelligence (AI) can bring benefits to construction companies, particularly smaller ones, helping them to compete with bigger ones.
The CIOB advisory panel has produced Artificial Intelligence Playbook 2024 for built environment organisations of all sizes seeking to understand how to get the best from AI technology. It includes ways to evaluate its effectiveness, while also considering ethics, cyber security and data protection. There is also a checklist to support new entrants, early adopters and experienced AI practitioners in making decisions about their use of the technology.
The guide explains how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can compete at a larger scale by exploiting AI. It says through use of AI, SMEs can tap into capabilities that were once only available to large construction organisations.
It also addresses industry concerns and misunderstandings about AI’s impact on the jobs market. It says AI in construction can enhance human capabilities rather than replace them as its use requires a certain level of user skill and understanding, meaning that many existing roles will evolve – transitioning from operators to supervisors, where some will increasingly find themselves checking and validating AI’s work.
David Philp, chair of CIOB’s digital and innovation advisory panel, and one of the authors, said: “Forms of AI are now prevalent in all walks of life and business, and the construction industry is in the age of AI, whether we recognise it or not. Understanding AI in the context of our sector is vitally important to help determine and shape how it might usher in new opportunities.
“AI can immensely support project and construction management, analysing large volumes of project data across the value chain, spotting potential safety risks through computer vision, and offering insights for smarter decision-making. It can also support the automation of repetitive tasks, such as everyday data entry, form filling, and report generation, all of which can dominate a construction manager’s day so it’s there to be embraced.”
Artificial Intelligence Playbook 2024 can be downloaded for free at ciob.me/AIPlaybook
