'Knowing' with AI in construction - An empirical insight

Construction is a collaborative endeavor. The complexity in delivering construction projects successfully is impacted by the effective collaboration needs of a multitude of stakeholders throughout the project life-cycle. Technologies such as Building Information Modelling and relational project delivery approaches such as Alliancing and Integrated Project Delivery have developed to address this conundrum. However, with the onset of the pandemic, the digital economy has surged world-wide and advances in technology such as in the areas of machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have grown deep roots across specializations and domains to the point of matching its capabilities to the human mind. Several recent studies have both explored the role of AI in the construction process and highlighted its benefits. In contrast, literature in the organization studies field has highlighted the fear that tasks currently done by humans will be done by AI in future. Motivated by these insights and with the understanding that construction is a labour intensive sector where knowledge is both fragmented and predominantly tacit in nature, this paper explores the integration of AI in construction processes across project phases from planning, scheduling, execution and maintenance operations using literary evidence and experiential insights. The findings show that AI can complement human skills rather than provide a substitute for them. This preliminary study is expected to be a stepping stone for further research and implementation in practice.