The past decade has seen an unprecedented number of challenges as well as advancements in technology in the construction industry. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer in the realms of SciFi, it is something we interact with daily and has the potential to transform the way we work. The inherent value of AI is the ability to consume, process, and organize large amounts of complex data. There are few industries that need tools to manage complexity more than the construction industry. To take full advantage of AI we need to stay focused on how to evaluate the opportunities and risks and manage its capability in a safe way. The exciting step for me is how many ready to use solutions are available. A full team of software engineers is no longer required to take advantage of AI, it can be simple as reaching out to vendors to understand the options.
Our industry is more complicated than ever, and contractors are in the position of managing complex workflows, changing environments, and fluctuations in everything from labor force to material prices. Without innovation in our industry, we will not be able to adapt to the new demands and challenges to continue building for our future.
While the construction industry has seen a huge uptick in technology adoption, it has not improved the productivity or efficiency of our industry as promised. Technology has continued to add complexity and additional processes that can inhibit productivity gains. Consider the introduction of mobile devices for construction management. Mobile phones and improved connectivity are critical to keep our teams connected and exchange information. They have also introduced multiple streams of information that are difficult to manage. Documents and instructions can be shared via text, email, or multiple different software platforms used to plan jobsite functions. AI can address these challenges, but it also introduces a new variable that must also be managed.
Artificial intelligence is both comparable to previous technological breakthroughs as well as uncharted territory. It is helpful to view AI through the lens of other recent advancements, like computing, the internet, and wireless connectivity. It is a foundational, breakthrough technology that can be applied in many different facets. That makes it both incredibly valuable as well as difficult to analyze. At the end of the day, it’s important to stay focused on the problems you’re trying to solve, and view AI as a tool in your toolbox that can help you accomplish this. As a contractor, the biggest immediate value that can be derived from AI advancements is leveraging the improved capability of existing solutions in the marketplace.
Implementing AI into our existing set of solutions addresses the pain points of complex and monotonous tasks across many facets of the construction industry. Examples include Document Crunch to expedite legal reviews, Togal to improve estimating accuracy, Newmetrix to predict jobsite safety risks, and ALICE to improve project scheduling. All of these analyze complex sets of disparate data to drive informed decisions, quickly. There is continued momentum to continue applying AI to improve existing solutions & complex processes. The major digital platforms have been investing heavily in this space through acquisitions & internal development, and we are starting to see the outcomes of that work. Oracle, Procore, Autodesk, Bentley, & Quickbase have all launched AI-enabled features focused on managing complexity to eliminate redundant work and provide information quickly.
At Milwaukee Tool, we view Machine Learning as a tool to solve real world problems that were too complex or difficult to solve previously. With the explosion of commercial solar, our users were searching for solutions to improve productivity to meet demand with a limited labor pool. Historically, many of the critical installation joints required a two-step process. Impact wrenches could not provide repeatable output with all the variables associated with the application, and torque wrenches were too slow to be used for the full installation. This is a type of problem that we look for in applying Machine Learning, and our teams successfully developed our recently launched Compact Torque Impact Wrench with Torque-Sense™. With a Machine Learning algorithm and an initial set-up process, this impact can provide repeatable torque output across environmental, material, and tool conditions that was previously too complex to manage.
To take advantage of AI-powered tools, we must critically evaluate this technology to understand the opportunity as well as the associated risks. The common analogy I prefer is to view AI as a very smart intern, with all the factual knowledge but very little wisdom. To take advantage of a bright new intern, you want to understand how they were trained, what information they are using to make decisions, and what checks are needed to manage the output. Imagine you are considering implementing an AI tool for estimating. First, you want to understand the training data. What is the source and accuracy of the data being used to train the model? Second, you want to know what information it is using to stay current. How does it adapt to changes in labor, material prices, or new types of designs? Finally, what ongoing effort is needed to check and validate the outputs, to build trust in this solution? While Milwaukee Tool’s Torque-Sense™ feature delivers productivity via labor savings, you also need to plan how to adapt and manage your site processes to leverage this new technology.
As the industry-facing solutions continue to gain traction, there is also significant foundational advancements in processing power, automating the development of models, and improving the efficiency of models that currently rely on enormous data sets. Advancements in these areas will continue to provide a runway for future construction-focused solutions that improve our industry and transform how we approach the planning, building, and operation of physical assets. It is still a rapidly evolving space, and we need to take into consideration the maturity of solutions as we adopt AI. At the time I’m writing this, Open AI is in turmoil and it is unclear if Sam Altman will be reinstated at Open AI or transition over with many Open AI employees to run Microsoft’s AI incubator. By the time of publication this will likely be resolved, but it is an example of the very real implications for any solution built on a single entity’s capability. Staying informed of changes and advancements in AI to understand implications within the construction industry will be critical to effectively taking advantage of this technology as part of core business processes.
In conclusion, as the construction industry embraces the digital era, Artificial Intelligence is already redefining the landscape and will be key to shaping the next chapter of construction excellence. The future is exciting, and I consider myself fortunate to be a part of the effort at Milwaukee Tool to transform our industry to meet the evolving needs of construction professionals.
