Calling them “exciting and also scary times” for the construction industry and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), Michael Colapietro, CEO and co-founder, Smartapp urged attendees of a recent webinar to leverage AI to “help us reimagine” how to improve construction operations across the board.

AI and automation can help the construction industry better grapple with chronic problems such as labor shortages and safety on site, Colapietro said at “Bridging the Gap: How AI and Automation Maximize Project Visibility from Finance to Field,” an Engineering News Record webinar sponsored by SAP and Smartapp October 17.  

But there’s also something of a Catch-22 at play, too, he warned. “The sheer abundance of [potential AI and technology] solutions is a little scary” in part because it’s difficult to identify which tools to leverage and then how to ensure they are interoperable. 

Technology upgrades in the construction industry are costly and increasingly complex and difficult, agreed Shenaz Bilkis, head of construction, travel and transportation industries, SAP. She, too, stressed the importance of finding interoperable solutions with out of the box capabilities.

Noting that only about one-third of all construction projects are ultimately successful, Vishi Viswanathan, CIO and SVP, Business Services, Day & Zimmerman, said AI tools should be able to help the construction industry improve on two of its shakiest areas: planning and scheduling. “Effective communication is key, and the planner should think of themselves as the composer for the orchestra,” he said.

AI can help by centralizing data, said Viswanathan, which will “alleviate many planning and scheduling challenges.” 
There is tremendous value in harnessing both current and past data, agreed Colapietro. Doing so will maximize the value of AI and allow it to help select better vendors, identify potential problems with contracts, improve regulatory and legal compliance issues, and track inventory, among other benefits. Used effectively, AI will allow firms, for example, to see inventory levels in real-time, automate replenishment, and predict and avoid equipment and other shortages, he said.

However, Viswanathan cautioned the construction industry not to remain rooted in the past as it approached the future. Today, too many construction firms are leveraging AI and other technologies to build on old manual processes instead of thinking outside the box. “We have the opportunity to do construction in new ways” he said, and AI can be an important driver of change.

Bottom-line: AI isn’t about replacing human talent. Colapietro said he likes to think of AI as “augmented intelligence. AI should support human decision-making.”