Reduce Construction Risk With Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Technology’s impact on the construction industry cannot be overstated. The industry has seen significant advancements impacting areas such as bidding/estimating, contract and insurance review and compliance, scheduling, safety and overall project and document management. The advent of smart phones, tablets and wearables has brought this technology out to those in the field, and allows data collection directly from their location, further increasing the value delivered.
Continued advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning and the application of these principals to the construction industry are becoming recognized for what they are—powerful tools to reduce and address construction risks encountered before, during and after construction of a project. Understanding the technology, where to find it and how to use it are critical first steps to reaping the tremendous risk mitigation benefits.
What are “Artificial Intelligence” and “Machine Learning,” and are they the same thing? Artificial intelligence, often referred to simply as “AI,” is the broad idea of using machines (e.g., computers) to execute tasks otherwise requiring human review and operation. AI sometimes uses “Machine Learning” to automatically adapt and learn from the processing and review of prior data without express updating by human reviewers and programmers.
The application of this technology to reduce risk in the construction industry was greatly expanded by the advent of Natural Language Data Extraction, which allows AI platforms to identify and extract data from unstructured text in any format or order. Algorithms and platforms now exist to allow users to automatically identify, extract and categorize natural language from various sources such as contract documents, insurance policies, daily reports, change orders and RFI responses.
For example, imagine the power of a platform that can automatically identify design issues necessitating a change order from RFI responses, locate information in contract documents and insurance policies, or automatically identify and calculate weather-related delays from schedule updates and daily reports. Identifying and extracting issues and data from natural language displayed in any form is complicated and requires the appropriate AI platform and appropriately trained and developed algorithms.
One of the most prevalent and highly developed uses of AI in construction revolves around image recognition. Many companies have taken advantage of this type of AI and machine learning from simple use cases such as photo tagging, which is similar to running a Google search for images. The platform can identify all types of information from video and photographic images, often critical in tracking the status and progress of construction projects. More specifically, some companies have built predictive models to identify safety risks on projects to avoid potential incidents or accidents.
