OpenAI's o1 Models: A New Era in AI Reasoning for Construction Safety?

Developed over the past 15 years of reviewing construction CPM schedules on major projects, the Construction Schedule Reviewer (CSR) helps busy project managers and schedulers prepare monthly updates and schedule narratives.  Part and parcel of CSR is the ability to read MS Project and Primavera schedules, document schedule progress sources and prepare presentation summary charts and graphs.  Additionally, CSR will use in-house trained AI models to write the schedule narrative for the update report.

For those who follow Artificial Intelligence news, the release of a new model from OpenAI has been a long time coming. Rumours about OpenAI’s “Strawberry” model have been stirring for months, and finally, paid users have access to two new models: o1-mini and o1 preview.

Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our eBook series "AI-Powered Construction Management Part 2." This chapter zeroes in on the pivotal role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), specifically within the construction phase of project management.

The old computer mantra "garbage in, garbage out" is all too relevant today for construction industry professionals hoping to maximize artificial intelligence in their projects. At a recent panel discussion at a Digital Construction Summit on September 24, speakers were bullish about how AI's potential to significantly enhance construction tasks. However ... 

Here what's going on ... A survey of top AI news stories in construction. Exciting predictions of AI benefits for the construction industry continue apace. But notes of realism and practicality are being voiced more widely as well. Read on.

Welcome to the third installment of our eBook series "AI Powered Construction Management Pt. 2." This chapter zooms in on the pivotal role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) during the pre-construction phase of project management so critical for setting the trajectory of construction projects. Artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally elevating the planning and execution stages of construction projects.

The intricate relationships between general contractors and their subcontractors influence each of the pillars of construction management—schedule, safety, and quality. While subcontractors bring invaluable specialized knowledge and expertise to a project, they also introduce layers of complexity in coordination, contractual obligations, and liability.

Over 75 percent of construction projects are delivered behind schedule, plagued by operational problems. But the construction industry can now leverage Lean Construction infused with artificial intelligence (AI) to improve project efficiency, safety and decision-making, says a new white paper How Can AI Help You Drive Lean Construction Performance?

The term "AI" is everywhere, along with several associated terms that may be less familiar. There is a lot of hype around “AI” and yet it is not always precisely clear what people are talking about. Hugh Seaton, CDT, CCS, CEO at The Link, helps clear some of the smoke.

After a long period of relative indifference by the construction industry, it appears that the industry has finally started to emerge from the Tech Adoption Curve's "innovator/early adoption" stage. At the annual AGC Tech Conference in Chicago this past month, attended by more than 300 people, mostly general contractors, it was clear that AI is, if nothing else, on everyone's minds.

Welcome to the second installment of our eBook series, "AI-Powered Construction Management Part 2." In this chapter, we focus on the construction phase. As projects move from planning to execution, the complexities and challenges of managing timeframes and budgets intensify. The construction phase, characterized by its dynamic environment and unforeseen variables, demands not just precision but also estimation adaptability.

It is a struggle to find engaging ways to communicate important messages to people across different technical understandings and aptitudes. A technical document with facts and figures understandable to an engineer might cause the eyes of an ironworker to glaze over. Conversely, a jargon-heavy document discernible by a qualified tradesperson could readily baffle a young project manager. AI can help.