Be wary of Artificial Intelligence

It has been near on impossible to miss the introduction and growth of Artificial Intelligence in recent years. AI is now prevalent across all industries, construction included, says Parm Bhangal, CEO of Bhangals Construction Consultants.

The use of AI can make some projects safer, more streamlined and hassle-free with the use of robotics and emerging technologies. Automated technology can speed up a build, provide less waste days and allow more efficiency.

But there has been unnecessary scaremongering that the introduction of AI means redundancy or lack of opportunity for construction workers at this time.

In fact, there are actually some limitations of AI that require users to be wary of the current technology on the market.

Take it with a pinch of salt

I recently asked a popular chatbot and virtual assistant how much an extension would cost in London and was flabbergasted when it said just £48,000 for a 40m2 build.

It would have been highly unlikely to get an extension built for that figure in the capital thirty years ago, let alone three decades later. Homeowners using the tool to calculate their budget for renovations are likely to be very disappointed with any real quotes.

Worryingly for the industry, there will be people making decisions based on the results of an AI tool search.

You cannot expect an AI tool alone to give you the correct response to every question. The fact is that an AI tool is only able to create content based on the data it is given. If the data in the system isn’t current or regularly updated, it is unlikely to be accurate.

The information being drawn from could potentially be years out of date.

Therefore, it is risky to rely upon it for real world calculations or niche fields.

AI cannot replace the importance of speaking to a qualified quantity surveyor to get accurate, precise and useful information.

What are the limitations of AI?

It’s not all negative, AI can be a really useful tool if you are aware of its limitations. It has a lack of real-world experience, but it can help to alleviate some pressure points for business owners.

Many construction workers have been in the trade for years and their expertise is unrivalled by technology. Our industry was built on human relations – right from the teams who plan out a building project through to the workers who build them.

The lack of human intervention is one of the key limitations of AI.

However, as with all technology and incoming trends, it is vital to look at how it will affect you and your business and plan accordingly for that, ensuring you adapt and use it to your advantage to help you to stay strong in the market.

AI also has a limited understanding of context, and no emotion or feeling to be able to provide personalised advice.

Add AI to your toolbox

The best way to look at AI is as another tool for your toolbox. You can’t ask a ‘tool’ for an answer and expect it to get it right, but you can use it to help you with your work.

Take into account that it won’t be experts in your industry that are informing the technology nor asking the questions.

The most pragmatic approach is asking AI but supporting the response with a professional opinion in order to get the best outcome. Use it as a starting point and sanity check for accuracy. You have to be realistic about its current capabilities and how that might affect your business if you don’t do your own homework.

Article submitted by Parm Bhangal, CEO of Bhangals Construction Consultants.

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