To say that AI was the hottest tech-related topic of 2023 would be an understatement. Virtually every industry—from retail and advertising to healthcare and finance—has embraced its potential.
The construction sector is no exception.
According to Deloitte, AI and advanced data analytics technology could bring cost savings of 10% to 15% for construction projects. These technologies can also streamline the design review process and help teams produce more accurate estimates, thus "reducing budgets and timeline deviations by an estimated 10-20% and engineering hours by 10-30%."
The impact of artificial intelligence is incredibly profound, which is why AI in the construction market is expected to be worth $151.1 billion by 2032.
AI is a certified game-changer in construction, but to harness the technology effectively, you need to keep up with its continuous advancements—which are coming at us fast!
New webinar series: Construction AI Trends: How Intelligence is Transforming the Industry
To help you do that, we've compiled a roundup of expert insights and predictions from industry thought leaders. If you're asking the question, "What's next in AI in construction in 2024?" this roundup is an excellent place to start.
You can also read about broader construction industry trends for 2024 in our latest blog.
This post includes insights from 20 experts:
"In 2024, AI in the construction industry is likely to play an increasingly significant role. AI applications may include advanced project management tools, predictive analytics for risk assessment, and optimization of construction processes. AI-driven technologies might also enhance safety protocols through real-time monitoring and analysis. In addition, the use of AI in design and planning stages could lead to more efficient resource utilization and cost-effective solutions. Keeping abreast of AI developments and industry-specific applications will be crucial for stakeholders in the construction sector in 2024."
"I believe in 2024, we will see AI increasingly used in in the construction industry. Regenerative design/optimization will be one way. As design teams set parameters required on their designs and AI tools are used to create various simulations of the form and shape infrastructure or buildings will take or design teams use AI tools to solve complex infrastructure problems that require optimization of various parameters.
Another AI focus will be regenerative scheduling. As construction teams set the sequence relationships on 3D models and AI tools are used to create various schedule simulations for delivering projects and teams also generate 5D models by adding cash flow information to these models.
Summarizing long documents such as reports or RFP documents during project bidding and read-proofing documents, paraphrasing text, and correcting grammatical errors will other AI-increased uses.
And finally, taking meeting minutes using AI tools which will allow for less biased and better capturing of meetings."
"As everyone is saying, AI is here, and AI is here to stay. In 2024 we will see a tremendous amount of investments, new ideas, and trends in the industry. There is so much potential to be gained with utilizing AI to solve issues. As technology leaders, it is critical that we focus on prioritizing to solve root cause issues within our collective organizations.
AI will become more fragmented if it does not have a clear vision of solving problems first, and innovation second. Slowing down innovation in the industry should be considered, but likely disregarded; rushing products out prematurely will surely result in poor outcomes, and therefore, could create a greater degree of risk on construction projects."
"AI is growing, especially in large companies. Businesses will partner with AI tech providers to get advice for and make improvements to their projects. This shift is important because AI – when done well – allows companies to “do more with less,” freeing up people’s time to focus on value-added tasks. AI-driven tools will advance and augment construction teams, providing quicker and safer work environments."
"In 2024, AI is on the verge of making remarkable progress. Plan to see more AI-powered tools becoming part of the landscape, providing an opportunity to explore how it can enhance work. Not only will increased AI exposure help improve job performance, but it also eases worries about AI's complexities. It underscores the importance of gathering data carefully, showcasing how data becomes a powerful tool for competitive advantage."
"AI is undeniably the biggest and hottest trend in the construction industry right now. We’re at a stage when we are only beginning to scratch the surface and the opportunities for evolution are seemingly boundless. Personally, I’m excited about the potential of AI technologies to improve day-to-day tasks. But when I look at the bigger picture, there are numerous opportunities to improve design, construction, and facility management processes.
It also feels like the reality capture space is about to experience explosive growth, and integrating reality capture with AI and BIM presents some exciting opportunities. This synergy can revolutionize design, scheduling, cost management, material selection, labor optimization, and quality control. However, we still need to be focused on streamlining these processes to achieve the value and gains these innovations promise."
"I predict that AI will play a pivotal role in supporting the creation of standard operating procedures within the construction industry. The AEC industry will need to prioritize its most significant challenges to identify and implement AI solutions that genuinely address real-world problems. Building trust and confidence in AI will be a gradual process. Industry leaders, particularly those with dedicated R&D or Innovation Departments, will be leaps and bounds ahead of counterparts without technology-focused units. These forward-thinking organizations will leverage AI tools capable of analyzing contract documents, extracting schedules, and exporting recommended sequencing and duration information. Project engineers will undergo a gradual shift from redundant data entry across various storage locations to focusing solely on ensuring the quality control of data submitted to a common data environment.
The most immediate impact of AI will be felt in the delivery of precise dashboard information, like Autodesk's Construction IQ. This tool leverages AI's ability to swiftly aggregate data and information from a well-maintained ACC environment. I look forward to leveraging AI to advance the construction industry and streamline all our future workflows!"
Matt Hayward, Kaiwhakahaere Matihiko Whenua me te Wai Aotearoa, Aurecon (Digital Lead, Land and Water New Zealand, Aurecon)
"In 2024, the construction industry see new advancements in AI technology. In the short term, firms will leverage large language models (LLMs) to automate tasks like object recognition and document extraction. In the longer term, organizations will be looking to develop data schemas and governance to get more robust insights, trends, and predictions.
AI is a highly valuable tool in construction, but its success is reliant on accurate and up-to-date datasets. 2024 will be the year that organizations focus on the fundamentals, prioritizing robust procedures and policies to maintain the protection, security, and privacy of these datasets. Ultimately, this focus will help enable socially responsible AI utilization."
Pat Keaney
Director of Product Management, Intelligence, Autodesk
"2023 introduced generative AI to the mainstream with unprecedented AI access and experimentation. The construction industry can now imagine how AI can make construction more efficient and predictable across the project lifecycle.
2024 will be the year that we go from experimentation with generative AI and foundation models to applying and embedding technology with AI-powered capabilities directly into the context of construction workflows. This will be a multi-year journey but in 2024 we will see accelerated innovation.
Construction professionals report that close to 20% of their time is spent finding the right data. The increasing focus on AI will highlight the foundational importance of construction management platforms to drive data quality and standardization. AI will deliver unprecedented access to connected data across the platform. Getting the right information quickly in an easy to digest format along with real-time predictive analytics will vastly improve decision support, every day, on the jobsite and in the office.
Over time, AI and foundation models will become increasingly multi-modal, combining text, images, 2D plans, BIM data, and structured data. Those advances will enable more automated AI-powered workflows, prediction, and efficiency across conceptual design, estimation, project planning, coordination, project management and field management. We live in interesting times."
"We can’t overlook the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning for today’s biggest construction trends. We are at an interesting crossroads in the industry where a lot of wasteful processes could be automated using these technologies. In the next five years, AI and machine learning are going to be mainstreamed into the products that we are currently using. In turn, we are going to see both productivity and project outcomes improve."
Olivier Lepinoy
Founder, Hyper Construction
"There is a lot of hype around AI these days. Every day we read or hear something enthusiastic or scaring about AI in the news. Will AI replace us? Will it revolutionize productivity in construction? Will AI transform design into a commodity? Will it improve collaboration, quality and safety? Something fundamental is missing in the discussion: the importance of a solid, long-term, ethical, and purposeful data strategy. Data being at the center of everything, RE-AECO companies need to prepare themselves and keep an eye on this cardinal question: in the future, who will be the Main Information Contractor? An entity responsible for providing, aggregating, overseeing, managing, and disseminating data flows throughout the built environment. Gradually, this new type of activities will emerge: at the project level first, later along the construction supply chain and, in the future, for the whole ecosystem."
"I anticipate that AI in the construction industry will transition from the 'excitement and experimental' phase to the 'implementation and execution' stage in 2024. AI is set to remain a key trend and area of interest, not only within the construction sector but across all industries. In previous years, the construction industry began experimenting with AI through research, training, pilot projects, and developing business cases, aiming to unlock new possibilities for expanding services, improving efficiency, eliminating manual tasks, and gaining competitiveness in the market.
In the coming year, I expect AI to become an integral part of the industry, with companies redefining their ways of working by formally incorporating AI into their policies, standards, procedures, budgets, training plans, and sought-after skills during the hiring process. AI will shift the project team's efforts from a task execution approach to defining processes, selecting appropriate tools, and engaging in data-driven decision-making exercises.
On the technology side, more AI-empowered tools can be expected in the market, assisting end-users in using the software more efficiently by working together side by side as a copilot and learning from past project data. This AI data-centric approach will have a huge impact on how the construction industry manages, structures, and validates data to improve the accuracy of AI algorithms. Legally, we may witness attempts to regulate the use of AI, particularly concerning data governance and intellectual property rights."
"Last year was a springboard for energy surrounding AI in construction. In 2024, we’ll see greater momentum and interest from the industry as firms begin to understand and take advantage of AI-driven technologies. Construction companies have become more aware of how much data they have, and forward-thinking teams will harness the power of AI to put this wealth of information to work, uncover insights, and improve their projects and businesses.
This year, the industry will start to realize AI’s tremendous potential to automate tedious tasks: many construction processes remain highly manual today but with AI, more firms will automate everyday workflows such as updating schedules, entering costs, and creating RFIs.
The integration of BIM with AI also poses new and exciting opportunities. BIM's rich data, paired with machine learning, can enable firms to improve efficiency and make smarter decisions beyond just the design phase.
Of course, adopting and implementing AI doesn't come without challenges. There’s an understandable apprehension in the industry about engaging with artificial intelligence, particularly around sharing data and losing intellectual property. However, with Autodesk, data used by AI is treated anonymously. While algorithms do learn from the information, it does so without compromising confidentiality. The right AI solutions also ensure that algorithms are applied to larger datasets and benefit everyone involved without jeopardizing intellectual property.
All in all, we’re bound to see more applications of AI in construction. The AECO companies that’ll win are the ones that don’t shy away from leveraging their treasure trove of data."
"As AI tools advance in 2024, we can expect their deeper integration in the design and planning phases of construction, providing more advanced options for modeling and simulations. There's a growing trend towards AI-powered automation in construction methods such as prefabrication and modular building.
Additionally, the concept of Digital Twins is likely to progress in tandem with AI, evolving into more dynamic and interactive models that offer real-time data for improved decision-making processes. However, with the evolution of AI comes the increased complexity of issues like data privacy, security, and ethical AI usage. While these insights are rooted in current trends, it's crucial to keep in mind the rapid development of the AI field. The primary focus should be on leveraging these technological advancements to deliver tangible business benefits, augment efficiency, and stimulate innovation."
Michael Milligan
Engineering Manager, SSEN Transmission
"With the idea of AI becoming more mainstream I envisage AI to be used in the background to support early project decision making. The past few years has seen SSEN Transmission develop tools for logic based analysis to support optioneering of long linear assets taking into consideration all key technical and non-technical factors, this trend will continue to expand in other areas and build on its current capabilities.
Along with design assistance AI will be used to analyse project KPI’s, activities to support identifying project risks, predict where and when deliverables will be late/impact critical path and potentially even suggest actions to mitigate based on lessons from previous projects. Used properly AI can be everyone's assistant to support decision making and flag potential issues, which may have taken 6 hours of risk and lesson learned workshops the year before. With this potential benefit we have to make sure these tools are deployed in such a way that they assist our processes rather than replace thought, and that we retain knowledge on why the logic is designed in the way that it is, and pass that on to people developing in their careers. I hope to see AI used as a design coach."
James Mize
Digital Delivery Specialist, CRB
"I believe that AI will, for the most part, stay the same in terms of what it is used for in the construction industry this year. I do expect our industry to continue exploring, learning, and testing AI more than ever before. Last year's exciting rise in AI fueled a significant amount of hype around the technology and I would expect that to cool slightly in 2024. The reason being, while the excitement and hype slows, many throughout the industry will begin an arduous journey with their data. As we know, data is what drives this era of intelligence and AI runs best on high quality data. This is why one of the major themes for this year will be to optimize project data threads while focusing on these key areas:
Regrouping to continue testing new ideas to inform which new ways of working and thinking are best suited for collaborating around data for their people/clients.
Consolidating their data streams/sources to focus on process efficiency and reducing digital waste throughout the industry.
Strategizing data structure, data quality, and data literacy to create environments more effectively suited for executing using AI.
The good news is that AI can help us achieve all these goals to advance our industry. I believe organizations will spend a lot of time building proper data governance, upskilling their labor force in data literacy, and we will begin to see a more prevalent data culture emerge throughout the industry. In addition, we will continue to see companies gather and analyze data that they already have, with new-found purpose, as they begin to transform their data for AI. These activities will set up companies for the long term with sustainable data threads to harness the true power of AI and continue to push the realm of possibility.
With all that said, I believe that startups and companies already building AI driven tools will continue to develop capabilities, and functionality as behind the scenes the underlying models become more powerful. The industry will continue to expand its use cases for AI this year as we learn its strengths and test its weaknesses. I expect continued advances in the space of automated progress tracking, with better object recognition and faster processing. There will be more co-pilots within our project management/execution tools to help surface insights making them more accessible. Finally, I expect more advances in the model visualization and BIM spaces as AI continues to transform how we present designs and interact with the data within our existing models."
"In reflecting on the AI landscape in 2023, it's evident that we've all explored various trendy AI tools, leveraging their capabilities to enhance day-to-day productivity and stimulate creativity. These tools have empowered creative minds to challenge algorithms with prompts, ushering in a new era of data creation, analysis, interaction, and visualization. While these advancements have permeated many sectors, the construction industry is still navigating its path to fully integrate AI.
Looking ahead to 2024, sustainability is likely to emerge as a central focus in the integration of AI within construction. As businesses across industries undertake decarbonization efforts to address climate-change targets, the construction sector must respond. AI, with its capacity to analyze complex datasets captured through IoT devices, sensors, and other technologies, offers a practical solution for accurate analysis and predictions. Its potential to optimize resource usage and reduce environmental impact positions AI as a pivotal force in designing and executing environmentally conscious construction projects.
On the other hand, the fear of job losses and the need for rapid reskilling in the face of AI are catalyzing industrial action. However, we cannot deny that AI has the potential to be a solution rather than a threat, filling skill gaps without compromising employment opportunities. Amid these shifts, construction professionals must adapt to the rapid advancements in technology. Staying abreast of these changes and adjusting skills accordingly will be imperative. The integration of new technology demands a continuous learning mindset to ensure that professionals remain at the forefront of industry developments.
Predicting the future of AI is challenging, considering its rapid evolution. AI is no longer the exclusive domain of large corporations and research institutions. The democratization of AI opens doors for smaller businesses and startups to harness its advantages, and the availability of open-source AI tools and platforms is lowering entry barriers for AI development. This provides an opportunity for anyone with the requisite skills and interest to contribute to AI applications in the construction industry."
Allison Scott
Director, Customer Experience & Industry Advocacy, Autodesk
"The conversation of AI in construction has obviously heated up – where not too long ago we were talking about data analytics as the next frontier, and BIM before that, now the industry is hot on even more automation. However, the topic for AI in construction is not actually new – it just has more of a spotlight now that the concept is both more tangible thanks to tools like ChatGPT.
The opportunities for AI to impact construction are vast, especially as the seasoned workforce with deep institutional knowledge retires and emerging workforce needs to augment their experience with assistive technology. However, there are major risks like inaccurate decision-making that have ripple effects to people and projects if firms don’t put good guardrails in place.
We will start to see more firms take on the challenge of better data hygiene and governance models that help to inform how AI is leveraged in their firms. Insurance companies and those in the legal profession will also start ramping up on the implications for AI in construction, especially as regulation like the UK Safety Act are enforcing a “golden thread of data” that pushes more collaboration and data management.
Technology companies serving the AEC industry will also accelerate ML/AI capabilities to both legacy technologies and new, and a fresh wave of startups will jump on the train. However, as AI permeates every tool, even in our day-to-day lives, we’ll see that human interactions and customer service will become a premium. This is a challenge for our industry that still relies on people to solve problems that, in most cases, AI is not primed for yet. Opportunities for construction firms are to be bullish but wary, and ensure you’re developing strong relationships with your technology partners to make sure your voice is being heard by those building tools for this industry with regard to what real-world problems AI can help solve, and how."
"Artificial intelligence is here and will continue to be the headliner of industry conversations and conferences again in 2024. Firms will focus on building the unique infrastructure required to leverage AI properly, including more in-depth company policies about how to use it effectively and with the right guard rails.
Contractors that most successfully use AI in their work in 2024 will set themselves apart by focusing on understanding their data and identifying the specific datasets that will make AI accurate and robust for their organization."
"AI will definitely take the construction industry in 2024. AI will be the assistant project manager that predicts problems, offers real-time insights, decision support, and keeps the budgets on track. Equipment powered by AI will be thing, like CCTV AI that predicts the risks in the construction site and maybe wearables that monitors and tracks the team in every move. With the help of generative AI, designs will come straight out with a simple click. And Digital Twins will be integrated with AI that provides automated predictive analysis and modelling and clash detection."
"I don’t think AI will replace the man on the ground to pour cement or lay bricks in 2024 just yet. But I think AI (in the form of large language models) will have a profound impact in the office when it comes to writing up tenders, specifications, operational method statements and anything else that requires writing. Construction as an industry is notorious for having many long documents that sit in repositories and to find information is difficult. AI will simplify that process and save time through generative search to find and summarize information for the end user."
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