When you look at all the structures on earth, it’s hard to see how they could be improved. The Burj Khalifa reaches 0.5 miles into the sky, 14 miles of the Seikan tunnel lies under the sea, and the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge is over 100 miles long.
Luckily, artificial intelligence is still in its infancy. Once it’s fully realized, it’s impossible to guess what we’ll be able to build. Let’s look at some of the ways AI is transforming the construction industry at the moment.
Avoid Going Over Budget
Simon Kronenfeld says every construction project starts with a predetermined budget, but it’s usually pretty inaccurate. Artificial intelligence is more accurate than experienced professionals when predicting a budget.
It considers a massive number of variables before coming up with a figure, including historical data from past projects and the time of year. Overruns cause lots of unnecessary stress, plus it puts projects at risk of defaulting.
Increasing Productivity
If construction workers are more productive, projects will be finished faster and cost companies less money. We’ve heard AI will put people out of jobs in the future, but it’s actually happening right now.
Machines can carry out basic repetitive tasks humans usually do. It means fewer accidents, zero human errors, and no drop in performance due to fatigue. AI can carry out tasks like laying bricks, welding, and pouring concrete.
Keeping Track Of Projects
It’s not easy to keep track of projects when you have so many sub-projects going on at the same time, but robots can help solve the problem. Robots need to be set up to overlook different areas on the job site.
Once images and videos start getting fed into a neural network, it’s possible to analyze the data to see how projects are progressing. It lets managers decide where to allocate resources to stay on schedule.
Improving Jobsite Safety
I’m sure everyone knows construction is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. According to Simon Kronenfeld, supervising on job sites makes the list too, which is weird because the job involves looking after other people.
Tech geniuses are currently working on an algorithm that detects and reports safety hazards on job sites. It uses AI to analyze images captured throughout the day, and it can tell if similar hazards have caused deaths in the past.
Inspecting Older Projects
Construction companies will inspect a structure once it’s finished to ensure it doesn’t have flaws or defects. Problems can show up years after projects are complete, so it’s important to keep an eye on them to ensure they’re in good condition.
Artificial intelligence will work with modern tech devices to guarantee old projects are still structurally sound. It will ensure everyone who uses the structure is safe, plus it’s a great way to save plenty of cash.
I wonder what we’re going to see a few decades from now. Maybe we’ll have skyscrapers a mile high or hotels deep under the sea. It’s going to be exciting once things start becoming a reality.