New advances in artificial intelligence are finally putting long-promised improvements in productivity, safety and efficiency within reach for construction companies. They’ve come just in time. It’s no secret the industry is facing serious headwinds: Rising interest rates and commercial real-estate slowdowns have stymied activity, while labor productivity growth continued its decades-long trajectory of stagnation. A recent report suggests that the construction industry will need an additional half-million workers to meet labor demands in 2023.

AI and machine learning can help meet these shortfalls. But shifting to a semi-autonomous business isn’t just a matter of purchasing leading-edge equipment and training workers to use it. There needs to be a certain level of buy-in from the people that operate it. If a construction worker believes they are smarter than the software they are being asked to monitor, they will reject it outright. To ensure a smooth transition, early adopters will need to assess the current state of AI and prioritize human-machine integration as they take the plunge.

Reprinted courtesy of Erik Wise, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.