b'PRESIDENTS MESSAGEDEMYSTIFYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECH FOR CONSTRUCTIONL ets be clear from the start: myresidents at a fraction of Uber prices. I was understanding of artificial intelligencethere. This is not the script of a sci-fi movie. (AI) technologies is conceptual, and IMore to the point, Alphabets AI autonomous have not taken an MIT course on thevehicle solution is working.implications of AI technology for business strategy. Moreover, I do not believe AI systemsDespite the overwhelming potential of AI with advanced neural self-awareness likesolutions, most tech geeks do not trust Skynet from the 1984 SchwarzeneggerAI predictive analytics that have not been movie The Terminator will exist any time soon.fully tested in the field. Case in point: one I do, however, believe we are on the cusp ofof the brightest minds in our industry is the unlocking the power of AI in construction,director of technology and analytics at the and I do believe embracing cutting-edgeU.S.-based Rosendin Electric, who specializes technologies is essential for staying aheadin data centre installations and employs of global competition in the fast-paced worldover 8,000 people. Rosendin is beta testing of construction.two homegrown AI solutions, but have so far rejected dozens of vendor-produced AI In very simple terms, AI refers to the abilitysolutions because they are wary of the risks of machines to perform tasks that wouldinherent in AI software programs. That does not typically require human intelligence, and inmean they dont exist. todays rapidly evolving digital landscape, AI is emerging as a transformative forceOn the contrary, Rosendins technology director that will reshape the way we do things.acknowledges that companies like Microsoft, Take building information modelling (BIM),Amazon, Google, OpenSpace, Autodesk, for example. I think it is fair to say that BIMConstructConnect and Procore have a plethora has revolutionized the way we design andof fully tested solutions that are already construct buildings. With that said, personalpaying enormous dividends for construction computers and the internet caused equallyindustry users. The truth is that AI is already disruptive transformations long before we hadtransforming traditional processes and AI and learning algorithms. At a minimum, theenabling endless new possibilities in project profound impacts of the tablet and the Internetplanning and design, construction automation, of Things (IoT) put perspective on the powersafety and risk management, quality control, of disruption. defect detection and canned algorithms that analyze data to predict outcomes that Another classic example of an AI solution isoptimize cost.autonomous vehicles. Who would have thought that Uber would quickly become obsolete inIt simply means that we need to be selective Phoenix and San Fransisco because California- about what software we choose to replace, based Alphabet Inc. introduced Waymo withor augment existing processes that we know hundreds of autonomous vehicles to serveintuitively ought to be done more productively.8Quarter 32023 BUILDERSDIGEST'