The construction labor shortage is driving technological innovation. Part of that technological innovation involves artificial intelligence (AI).
One of the best uses of AI in construction is focused around safety on the jobsite. In reality, AI can protect the industry’s most important resource: its people. Companies are increasingly open to investing in and using AI and data analytics for safety processes that protect their workers.
As companies pull in AI and use data to track worker safety, it has been reshaping the safety landscape across the entire industry. For instance, a camera plus AI can essentially become a jobsite safety manager when the right information is pulled in.
The way construction companies collect data is already changing. In addition, workers are now using mobile applications to take advantage of the data that is collected.
However, technology is only one part of the equation. The right company culture is needed to embrace innovations as they emerge that fit the company’s business model.
Those who are watching the innovation scene believe cameras will be a big part of harnessing AI on construction sites. Because there can be so much data, which can become noise, companies need to decide what technology to implement to harness that data and how to best do make it useful. This can involve and even enable decisions about business needs and strategy.
Companies can utilize real-time data or patterns in that data that emerge through the use of AI for pattern analysis. The volume of data is a consideration, as well as value. Of course, the primary focus of most companies is still erecting a building on time and within budget.
Some people see risks in the use of AI, and rightfully so. In the wrong hands, AI is already being used for nefarious purposes. But in cases where a company requests a specific thing, AI can provide that quickly. AI can take a paradigm and find the solution that is needed. The power of AI for the future of construction safety will involve data collection through cameras and computer vision, then processing and interpreting the data collected.
Many people agree that the temptations to do increasingly edgy work with AI need to be controlled. The use of AI is growing exponentially, and people using it need to be mature in that usage.
In addition to AI, there are multiple technologies that are positively affecting the construction industry.
For instance, innovations that help project teams build a single source of truth are helping make the industry more productive. By integrating capabilities using technological innovations, we are seeing more “end to end” processes like quality control and budgeting, in addition to safety. In these times of needing more agile projects and greater productivity, we will see more use of robotics, specialized materials and different, more efficient building methods.
Tune in to Bridging the Gap Podcast episode 215 with Izhak Paz for more discussion about the use of AI and other technologies that have evolved to make the construction industry more efficient, more productive and a safer place to work.
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