How Construction Can Still Realize the Promise of AI 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been coined as a game-changer in construction over the last couple of years.  

When tools like ChatGPT became mainstream, experts and industry leaders took notice of AI's potential to boost productivity, reduce rework, and solve our labor woes. In fact, according to Mordor Intelligence, the market size for AI in construction is expected to reach $14.72 billion by 2030. But are we really seeing that transformation—or are jobsites still waiting for the AI revolution? More importantly, can construction move beyond the hype and deliver on the promise of AI? 

A decline in enthusiasm 

AI once sparked excitement—and in many ways, it still does. However, that initial buzz people felt a few short years ago is fading, and construction leaders are starting to take on a more pragmatic view of artificial intelligence. 

According to Autodesk's 2025 State of Design & Make: Spotlight on Construction report, trust in AI among construction leaders has dropped 14 percentage points since last year. While 68% still believe AI will enhance the industry, that number is down from 80% in 2024. What's more, 44% now agree that AI could destabilize construction altogether. 

Undoubtedly, this decline in sentiment for AI reflects a classic tech hype cycle. In Gartner’s Hype Cycle this would put construction AI in the “trough of disillusionment” stage. Meaning, after the initial excitement and high expectations, construction teams have experienced setbacks and disappointments with implementations, fueling skepticism. The good news is, this stage often precedes more realistic and productive use cases, as long as the technology matures and companies get a better understanding of solutions’ true impact.  

But before we get into what is working and where AI-powered technology is going in construction, let’s explore some of the key reasons behind the dip in confidence. These include: 

Current technology limitations and pain points 

The tools available today are powerful, but they're far from perfect. Many AI solutions still perform best with clean, structured data, which is notoriously hard to come by in construction. The challenge lies in the combination of incomplete data, partially automated workflows, and fragmented systems. When teams, tools, and processes aren’t fully connected, it becomes harder to realize AI’s full potential. In short, the vision is there, but many of the tools haven't fully caught up yet. 

AI training is also a concern. Today’s models need to be trained on construction-specific data and geared toward delivering outputs that are highly relevant to the building industry to ensure accurate and high-value results. Without this tailored training, the potential of AI to transform the construction industry remains somewhat stunted.  

Beyond technical limitations, it's also important to acknowledge technology’s impact in the construction industry to date. Construction technology hasn't always addressed critical challenges in ways that significantly change how people work. This shared experience for many construction professionals contributes to understandable skepticism around AI’s potential impact. To effectively achieve large scale implementation of AI, overcoming mindset and change management challenges is essential. 

Technical skills shortage  

Think AI will solve construction’s labor shortage? It’s complicated. If anything, AI has uncovered a new gap for technical skills in construction. AI doesn't just run on its own—it needs skilled operators, data managers, and analysts. These are roles the industry is still racing to train for and fill.  

According to an article from IBM, the AI skills gap is more of a training gap. The underlying issue? Companies are falling behind in training and upskilling their workforce to utilize AI impactfully. This gap is driven not only by budget constraints, demographic divides, and the limited effectiveness of current training programs, but also a disconnect between AI offerings and operational needs. Addressing this training gap requires a multifaceted approach that includes assessing organizational AI readiness, implementing interactive, customizable, and inclusive learning programs, and making strategic investments in both tools and talent to enable continuous learning.  

Implementation challenges  

Even once valuable use cases have been identified and users have been trained, challenges to fully deploying AI within an organization remain. Integrating AI into existing workflows takes customization and buy-in from multiple stakeholders. Leadership must be bought in to champion the associated process changes and understand the value unlocked by leveraging AI. Still, all changes bring the risk of friction which can cool the initial excitement and delay full-scale adoption. 

Now, these challenges haven't erased AI's potential—but they've certainly tempered expectations. Top construction leaders aren't avoiding adopting AI; they're just taking a more measured approach to adoption.  

That brings us to where the industry stands today. 

The current state of AI integration 

Right now, many construction firms are in the discovery phase, which means they're still exploring what AI can do for their business. Our research has found that 47% of construction leaders consider identifying the right use cases for AI to be a major or moderate concern. And only 32% report that they're approaching—or have reached—their AI goals.   

Kenneth Højbjerg of AFRY says it best: "It’s like when the personal computer came out in the mid-90s and everyone wanted one but didn’t know how to use it. It’s the same issue we’re having with AI at the moment." To put things in a nutshell, the excitement is there, but execution is still a work in progress. 

Early adopters and their optimism 

Despite the uncertainty, many early adopters are doubling down on data technology and AI. 

Leaders like Hannu Lindberg of DPR Construction point to data and artificial intelligence as a core focus of their current investment. "I think the two major areas attracting the most investment right now are data analytics and artificial intelligence. The strategic investments in our data and data infrastructure are driving significant change across our industry." remarks Hannu. 

Adding to this, Liz Fox of Barton Malow Company explains that the true value lies not just in the data itself, but in how the data connects that can drive new levels of value. “The fusion of interconnected data and AI-powered field workflows will be the catalyst for widespread AI adoption - elevating project quality, reducing safety incidents, and minimizing rework. I'm particularly looking forward to the prospect of AI transitioning from a passive information provider to an active agent, prompting individuals to act on data-driven insights.”  

But to truly harness the transformative power of AI, leaders agree companies must deliberately focus on investment for connected systems and data infrastructure. Paulo Figueiredo of WSP emphasizes, “AI’s transformative power lies in its ability to empower, not merely replace, human decision-making. However, organizations must make the conscious choice to create the connected systems AI needs to flourish. The question is not whether AI will revolutionize construction but whether companies will be ready when it does.” 

AI applications in construction: Today and on the horizon 

Regardless of how you feel about artificial intelligence, the technology is here to stay. AI capabilities will only continue to get smarter and useable in coming months and years. And while no one should blindly trust or overhype AI, there's real value in keeping an open mind.  

Consider how AI can streamline every stage of the construction lifecycle: 

Design  

AI is already transforming the design processes by making it faster, more collaborative, and more iterative. Today, teams can leverage generative AI to explore thousands of design options based on site constraints, budget, or sustainability goals. Additionally, AI tools can assist in design reviews, ensuring that every aspect of the project meets all requirements and identifies potential flags.  AI tools can also perform constructability checks, identifying potential issues before construction begins, and ensuring the designs are feasible. 

Bidding and estimating 

Accurate bids and estimates are the backbone of any successful project. AI can analyze historical project data, real-time material costs, and labor trends to generate smarter, more accurate estimates faster. Instead of spending hours pulling from spreadsheets and siloed systems, teams can access instant insights to inform pricing strategies and win more bids.  

Some tools even flag potential budget risks before you submit, helping you avoid underbidding or scope creep down the line. 

Coordination 

On the coordination front, AI-enhanced platforms improve communication by automatically summarizing design changes or flagging inconsistencies. Additionally, machine learning algorithms can drastically reduce the time spent error-checking model files and performing clash detection.  

Finally, as we see construction management platforms continue to integrate both AI and BIM, they will streamline project coordination with advanced scheduling and procurement tools, reducing errors, and enhancing overall efficiency. This milestone will enable better decision-making and improved resource management overall.  

Project management and execution 

When safety, quality, speed, and accuracy are needed most, AI can have a big influence in enhancing project execution. Today, solutions like Autodesk Assistant allow workers to quickly search and retrieve specifications, RFIs, drawings, and other critical project documents. When AI can streamline access to critical project information when it’s needed most, teams spend less time on manual searches and more time on higher-value tasks, enabling them to make decisions swiftly. 

Furthermore, firms are leveraging AI solutions that drive superior safety outcomes on their projects by taking a proactive approach to preventing incidents. By using computer vision to analyze jobsite photos for unsafe behavior and conditions, as well as data from IoT devices, AI can predict areas of risk and proactively guide safety professionals to corrective action focused on stopping injuries before they occur.  

While generative AI helps create content and outputs based on prompts, agentic AI takes things a step further. These systems consist of autonomous agents that don't just generate ideas—they act on them. In construction, that means agents that monitor risk, update schedules in real-time, and reroute resources when delays occur. For example, if a weather system threatens a jobsite, a risk agent can assess the impact while a scheduling agent adjusts timelines accordingly.

Unlike traditional software, agentic AI reduces the inconsistency of manual coordination. This allows teams to respond faster, optimize resources, and keep projects on track. It also enables more accurate and dynamic cost management, as real-time visibility into schedule changes, field productivity, and resource usage helps teams better track and control project costs. As project complexity increases, so does the demand for these intelligent, self-adjusting systems. 

Project billing 

Project billing is another area where AI is already proving its worth. According to new data from our 2025 Design & Make: Spotlight on Construction Report, late payments remain a persistent pain point in the industry, with 89% of construction leaders reporting delays in the past year. The impact is especially severe at large companies, where 23% say payments are late very often, compared to 6% of medium and 3% of small businesses. 

That's where AI-powered automation can make a real difference. From triggering billing workflows to flagging overdue invoices and generating real-time payment insights, AI can reduce friction, save time, and improve cash flow visibility. 

Project closeout 

Project closeout can make or break a project in terms of meeting deadlines and fulfilling owners' expectations. Beyond individual project satisfaction, a quality closeout can fuel repeat business and more profits for general contractors.  

Today, AI-powered technologies can streamline the closeout process by compiling as-built drawings, operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals, and other essential documentation. Furthermore, AI-assisted contract review can expedite the evaluation and approval of final project documents, enabling faster project closeout.  AI-powered tools bring greater precision and reliability to the closeout process, helping teams finish projects faster, strengthen client relationships, and pave the way for future opportunities. 

Achieving your AI goals 

Whether you're still exploring or already experimenting with artificial intelligence, here are our recommendations to help you achieve your AI goals.  

Make AI practical 

Start with the areas that create tedious, time-consuming work for your team. What’s pulling your project managers and superintendents away from critical priorities like cost control, safety oversight, crew coordination, and schedule management? Applying AI to routine workflows can free up valuable time and help you realize ROI faster.  

The key here is to focus on solving problems that are slowing you down today, not chasing futuristic use cases. When AI is grounded in tangible impact, it's easier to get stakeholder buy-in and build momentum for broader adoption. 

Ensure AI is ethical 

AI is only as good as the data it runs on and your team's ability to trust it. As such, you must prioritize data security, transparency, and governance from the start. Building trust in the data builds trust in the system.  

Trustworthy and reliable data 

Establish clear data governance policies to define how data is collected, stored, and used across the organization. Conduct regular data quality audits to ensure the information feeding your AI is accurate, clean, and relevant. 

AI transparency and confidence 

Internally, it’s essential to ensure your teams understand how AI decisions are made and feel confident using the insights. Involving end users early in the AI adoption process helps them comprehend how tools work and inform actions.  

Invest in training real people 

AI tools don't create value on their own, your people do. In a time when digital skills are evolving fast, investing in your workforce is a smart competitive move. Equip your teams with the training and support they need to adapt, upskill, and thrive in a tech-driven environment.  

Never lose sight of the fact that the future of AI in construction isn't just automated; it's also human-powered. 

Autodesk's role in AI 

Autodesk has always been a pioneer in driving change across the construction industry. From embracing PCs in the 1980s to leading the shift to cloud, SaaS, and mobile platforms, innovation is in our DNA. That same forward momentum applies to artificial intelligence. 

As an early investor in AI, Autodesk has spent more than a decade tackling complex challenges through Autodesk Research—pushing boundaries in areas like generative design to help the industry work smarter, faster, and more creatively. 

We were also the first construction platform to deliver AI-powered insights through Construction IQ What started as a collaborative pilot with some of our largest customers has evolved into a robust solution that flags safety and quality risks based on real project data. 

Today, we're building on that legacy with Autodesk AI, a suite of tools designed to automate repetitive work, augment creative exploration, and deliver predictive insights across the project lifecycle. Embedded within Autodesk products and native to our Design and Make Platform, Autodesk AI empowers construction teams to focus on higher-value work. 

Conclusion 

To answer the question I posed in the introduction—yes, construction can deliver on the promise of AI. But realizing that potential requires more than excitement. Leaders who approach AI with a balance of curiosity, ethics, and investment in people will be best positioned to thrive. 

From reducing delays to unlocking better decision-making, AI can help teams work smarter and get back to doing what matters most: building and delivering a superior project for their clients.  

The future isn't just about adopting AI—it's about doing it wisely. Start small, stay focused, and build a foundation of project planning and execution tools your teams can trust and grow with. 

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