JANUARY 2026CONSTRUCTIONTECHREVIEW.COM19THE STATE OF AI IN CONSTRUCTIONthe solution was greater than the hourly cost of a project engineer or junior superintendent walking the site at the same frequency. As the costs decline and the models improve, solutions like the one piloted will deliver value, but that value is still emerging.Case study three ­ AI-created meeting transcription value still requires measurementThe AI innovator community of practice at our company has fully embraced the use of AI-created transcripts for meetings with internal teams, subcontractors, owners, and architects/designers. The users of the solution all highlight the value of the solution, as letting the AI take notes 1) reduces the time to process meeting notes ­ as some meetings required more than an hour of work to document, which has been reduced to a few minutes, 2) frees the note taker to actively participate in the meeting, 3) allows team members to not attend if they were only participating as an "informed" stakeholder, and 4) builds greater accountability by ensuring that action items are documented, communicated, and available for planning the next session. The team has not settled on a specific measurable outcome but continues to document how this time is utilized for other purposes, such as a former note-taker conducting an additional safety inspection or quality check. Risks remainWhile AI solutions are beginning to demonstrate value, challenges and risks remain. Companies must start their AI journey with well-defined IT security and information governance policies to act as guardrails. In addition, many software vendors are adding AI to their offerings without a strong connection to the core value of their product. Distinguishing real AI value from "AI washing" takes time, effort, and serious consideration. The most effective way to judge is whether AI will deliver defined and demonstrated value. AI represents a leapfrog opportunity for construction--to catch up to and potentially surpass other industries.
< Page 9 | Page 11 >