Mention AI in construction, and many people think of robots walking around laying bricks. However, we’re not quite there yet. Adoption is, however, appearing in all different areas of construction. In this article we look at how AI is being used today on construction projects.
RICS surveyed more than 2,200 built environment professionals for its AI in Construction report. Around 45% said their organisation had no AI use at all. Roughly a third were in early pilots. Just under 12% used it regularly in specific processes, and fully embedded, organisational-wide AI use was under 1%.
Although it is worth pointing out that the survey was from Q1 of 2025, and uptake in AI usage is progressing fast.
So Where Is It Actually Being Used?
On site, the main use is monitoring. Site cameras and 360-degree walkthroughs capture progress information automatically, comparing what has been built against the design and the programme. Safety issues are flagged in real time such as missing PPE or plant working too close to operatives. Contractors are already using AI to help automate site records, and carry out H&S inspections. Although this doesn’t shift accountability, it provides an extra pair of eyes which is always on and never tired.
Design is where the industry expects the biggest short term gains. Around 40% of respondents said design optioneering is where AI will have its greatest impact over the next five years. This involves generating multiple design plans with detailed breakdowns of whole life cost & whole life carbon calculations so a client can see the implications before committing.
The office is where Quantity Surveyors will make the most use of this new technology. AI can carry out contract reviews, draft communications, summarise meeting notes and cross reference claims against the contract terms, agreed design, programme submissions & site records simultaneously using agents. This is already happening today as frontier AI models have increasing capability to connect to workplace systems.
So What’s Holding AI Back in Construction?
The barriers in the RICS data are not technical. A lack of skilled personnel came out top at 46%, followed by system integration at 37% and poor data quality at 30%.
That last one should land with every commercial team. If your cost coding is inconsistent and your CVR data lives in twelve different spreadsheets, no tool is going to fix that for you.
So What Does This Mean for a Quantity Surveyor?
The RICS standard on the responsible use of AI has been mandatory since March 2026. If you are chartered and using these tools on live work, you need to make sure you understand and follow the standard.
If you want to build the commercial knowledge alongside the technology, Metroun Learning offers over 60 hours of formal CPD, alongside many other benefits.
Find out how we can help you at metroun.co.uk
