AI In Construction: A Primer

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 Purpose

This introductory session is designed to give construction professionals with little to no prior exposure to Artificial Intelligence (AI) a clear understanding of what AI is, how it works at a high level, and why it matters to the construction industry. The goal is to reduce confusion, clarify terminology, and demonstrate practical applications that can make construction safer, more efficient, and more competitive.

• Foundations of AI
   
  • What Artificial Intelligence is (and what it is not)
     
  • Key terms: machine learning, robotics, automation, data analytics
     
  • How AI systems "learn" from data and patterns
     
• AI in Everyday Life
   
  • Common examples (voice assistants, search engines, fraud detection)
     
  • Drawing parallels to construction workflows
     
• AI in Construction Today
   
  • Applications in safety monitoring and risk prediction
     
  • Robotics and automation for repetitive or hazardous tasks
     
  • Quality control and predictive maintenance
     
  • Scheduling, estimating, and resource optimization
     
• Challenges & Misconceptions
   
  • Data privacy, security, and ownership
     
  • Cost and integration challenges
     
  • Human vs. machine roles: collaboration, not replacement
     
• Looking Ahead
   
  • Near-term advancements (2025–2030)
     
  • Preparing organizations for adoption
     
  • Simple first steps construction firms can take
     

• Interactive Discussion – Participants share current pain points in their jobs and map them to possible AI solutions.
   
• Case Study Walkthroughs – Real-world examples of AI-enabled tools being piloted in construction projects.
   
• Demo Scenarios – Step-by-step look at how an AI-driven system (e.g., safety monitoring or scheduling software) functions in practice.
   
• Adoption Checklist – Simple framework for evaluating whether AI tools are a fit for a company’s needs.