AI Adoption Lag in Construction

AI Interest High, Implementation Low

A survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) revealed that while builders view artificial intelligence favorably, putting it into practice on jobsites is lagging. These intentions mirror the AI initiatives that larger contractors have been involved in recently.

RICS' report references Zacua Ventures’ Contech Investor Survey 2025, which indicated that 56% of surveyed investors planned to increase their AI investments compared to the previous year. However, the RICS report notes that this enthusiasm hasn't resonated with most contractors. Many companies are in the early stages of AI planning, or have no plans at all, in addition to the adoption gap. For instance, 45% of survey participants stated their companies possess limited capabilities and are only investigating potential AI implementation methods. Almost a third, 29%, reported their organizations currently lack both the ability and the strategies. The deficiency in practical application contrasts sharply with the potential contractors see for AI in construction. It also highlights the industry’s reputation for being slow to embrace technology.

RICS' survey assessed professionals' opinions on AI's potential to enhance construction aspects such as progress monitoring, safety management, sustainability, and risk management. The report indicated that most respondents rated AI’s significance as moderate to high, particularly in areas already reliant on data and predictive decision-making.

The survey occurs as contractors face pressure to adopt new technologies. Tanja Kufner, from the Nemetschek Group, noted that contractors are also experiencing adoption fatigue. Kufner stated that the numerous workflows and logins are overwhelming.

RICS Recommendations

RICS proposed immediate, medium, and long-term actions for contractors to tackle these issues. RICS suggests that builders should immediately train internal teams and form cross-functional leadership groups to identify near-term AI applications like scheduling, cost estimating, sustainability, and safety. In the medium term, builders can assess AI performance using benchmarks and feedback. This will support scaling AI, while considering its risks and environmental costs. In the long term, contractors could scale successful use cases across functions, projects, or regions and participate in collaborative standards development.

Despite limited implementation so far, the adoption of AI could accelerate if builders create programs focused on the technology. The report concluded that the construction sector is reaching an AI tipping point and as infrastructure improves, processes become established, and implementation costs decrease, widespread AI adoption could happen quickly.