AI investment continues to drive growth in the AEC industry says new report

In addition to AI, the report highlights broader trends in the adoption of digital tools within the AEC industry (Photo: AdobeStock)

The report, based on a survey of AEC managers worldwide, highlights a significant investment in artificial intelligence (AI) by these companies. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents indicated that they are currently using AI in one or more phases of their building projects. However, more than half (54%) of those utilising AI expressed concerns about AI regulation. Notably, 44% of these individuals stated that such concerns are affecting AI implementation within their organisations.

The report indicates that AI is particularly prominent in the design and planning phases of construction. Nearly half of AEC firms are utilising AI for design (48%) and planning (42%). Among companies that have adopted AI, more than half (55%) recognise it as being very important, and over 70% are allocating up to 25% of their budget to this technology. This investment is expected to grow, as the vast majority (84%) plan to increase their AI spending over the next five years.

In addition to AI, the report highlights broader trends in the adoption of digital tools within the AEC industry. Technology is most frequently used during the construction (77%), design (77%), and planning (74%) phases of building projects highlights the report. The most widely used technology is Building Information Modeling (BIM) at 69%, followed by Computer-Aided Design (CAD) at 54% and project management software at 53%.

The report also highlights that Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms face significant obstacles in adopting technology and digitization. A notable one is the lack of training and skills development among employees, with 32% of firms citing this as a major challenge. Other barriers include issues related to integration (27%) and technical difficulties (26%).

Despite these challenges, the use of digital tools has enabled construction firms to achieve substantial cost savings, with over a third (35%) of respondents reporting savings between US$100,000 and US$500,000 through new technologies.

“As digitisation and the use of AI within the AEC sector increases, reliance on outdated paper-based approaches will continue to shrink, helping to drive cost savings and improve sustainability efforts in construction,” said Usman Shuja, chief executive officer at Bluebeam.

Shuja added, “AI is already revolutionising the building process, so it is essential that educators, technology providers and construction industry leaders work together to produce new training initiatives that can capitalise on these innovations by helping bridge the AEC technology skills gap so we can continue to move the industry forward.”

Download the full report here.