The rise of Artificial Intelligence is impacting on just about every aspect of our day-to-day lives.
From basic healthcare provision to the art we might pick for our home, AI is having a greater influence.
It is no surprise, therefore, that construction is seeing an increase in the use of AI. Indeed, the industry has a proven track record of being early adopters of such new technology and has seen great strides in recent years in harnessing the power of innovation to make progress and improvements.
The industry has been at the forefront of this innovation. Computer aided design is well-established, as is BIM and VR in terms of creating new buildings and products and revolutionising the way the industry works.
It is a natural progression for construction to enthusiastically take a lead with AI.
Only 18% see AI leading to job losses but 67% worry about work being imitated
Paul Groves Group Editor for Specification
RIBA survey results
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has published the results of the second survey among its members into attitudes towards, and usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and there has been a big increase in adoption in the last 12 months, with the survey showing:
- The number of architects’ practices using AI rises from 41% in 2024, to 59% in 2025
- 65% of architects think AI will help sector meet net zero targets
- Over two-thirds (67%), however have concerns that AI will increase the risk of work being imitated.
What is interesting is that only 18% of practices envisage that AI will lead to job losses, and just 4% of those surveyed think that human creativity will no longer be needed for building design because of AI.
Nevertheless, a significant proportion (35%) remain concerned that AI will threaten the profession, 67% worry that it will increase the risk of work being imitated, and 44% are concerned that it will enable those without sufficient professional knowledge to design buildings.
Boosting innovation
Despite this, however, the overriding sentiment among the architects who responded is that AI offers a route to enhancing some of the professions’ core offering and boosting design innovation and creativity.
RIBA is working to develop guidance and demand greater transparency to ensure that architects can harness AI without losing agency over their creative output.
RIBA President, Muyiwa Oki said: “The sharp rise in AI use among our members illustrates how all-encompassing this technology is becoming and how willing architects are to embrace new ways of working, to achieve even better results.
“Despite the very legitimate concerns many have around imitation and the reliability of data, it’s clear that architects are keen to be on the right side of digital innovations and lead by example rather than be left to catch up.
“RIBA is committed to making sure the profession continues to reap all the benefits that AI offers and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Increasing role for AI
From design to the completion of projects, AI’s role is increasing.
Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, has adopted Buildots' AI construction technology to support the delivery of the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), with the platform already driving measurable impact.
The state-of-the-art NHS facility will integrate research, training, and education with clinical care provided by Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH). Given the complexity of the £105 million project, Buildots plays a vital role in enhancing construction efficiency and ensuring maximum value to taxpayers.
Buildots’ platform compares 360° site imagery against the project’s planned BIM model and schedule to generate an accurate view of planned vs actual progress. Its predictive analytics flag at-risk activities early, enabling site teams to proactively address inefficiencies.
“Our top commitments are to the quality of our work and the speed at which we deliver it – all the more so when the project is a medical facility,” said Will Coupland, Project Director at IHP. “With Buildots, our team is better equipped to identify areas for improvement during construction, execute immediate corrective actions and streamline processes.”
Aviv Leibovici, Co-founder and CPO of Buildots, added: “IHP continues to lead the way, embedding data-driven decision-making into every layer of project delivery. This is what the future of healthcare construction looks like: proactive, accountable, and insight-led. We’re excited to help shape it.”
Keeping pace with change
Manufacturers are also actively investigating and researching ways that AI can improve product development and performance. The benefit of AI is not just in terms of bring new systems to market, but improving existing product too.
But there is concern that the rate of change and pace of uptake needs to improve for UK manufacturers to keep pace with other countries.
The Future Factories Powered by AI study, published by the manufacturers’ body Make UK, in collaboration with Autodesk, examines the state of AI adoption in UK manufacturing, including the opportunities and challenges for manufacturers and proposes how Government initiatives and regulation can support the sector’s adoption of new technologies.
It found that companies are using AI tools widely across their business, in particular for managing energy use and reducing waste, while 75% of them plan to increase AI investment in the next year.
Knowledge gaps
However, despite increased adoption, there remains a significant knowledge gap around AI’s potential uses among businesses with only 16% regarding themselves as ‘knowledgeable’ on the subject.
As a result, only a third of companies are using AI specifically in their manufacturing operations. While robotics use also remains weak, despite global automation opportunities.
Verity Davidge, Director of Policy, Make UK, said: “AI and automation are driving dramatic change in speeding up manufacturing processes and elsewhere in companies. Their potential to drive economic growth and reshape industries is becoming increasingly clear, and the manufacturing sector and its factories of the future have a central role to play.
“However, while the uptake of such technologies is increasing, the UK needs a step change in the use of automation otherwise it risks missing out on vital transformative productivity gains.”
Srinath Jonnalagadda, VP, Data and Process Management at Autodesk maintains that taking advantage of new technologies isn’t a one-off investment and the “silver bullet for change”.
He added: “It demands a shift in mindset and an iterative approach over time, especially in the journey towards future, digital factories.
“A continued and concerted effort will be needed to achieve the industry transformation and workforce with the skills and capacity required to take advantage of new technology, allowing UK industry to emerge as a global leader in AI-driven innovation, setting the new standard for manufacturing excellence.”
Paul Groves is Group Editor for Specification
