According to a global report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the construction industry is standing on the brink of a digital transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI).
The AI in Construction 2025 report, based on responses from more than 2,200 professionals across the globe, has revealed both the potential and challenges facing the sector as it embraces AI.
Some of the key findings of the report include the following.
A total of 45 per cent of organisations report no AI use, with just 1 per cent having scaled AI across projects.
Nearly 70 per cent of project managers and quantity surveyors believe AI will help them deliver greater value, while 40 per cent expect AI to have its biggest impact in shaping smarter, faster project design over the next five years.
A lack of skilled personnel, poor data quality, and system integration challenges are holding back adoption. However, a quarter of firms plan to increase AI spending in the next 12 months, even as 28 per cent have no plans and 22 per cent remain unsure.
The report warns of a widening gap between investment ambition and organisational readiness. Many firms are preparing to spend on AI despite widespread skills shortages, raising concerns about whether investments will deliver real value.
The report also highlights strong optimism around AI’s role in scheduling, risk management, and cost control.
RICS warns that overlooking these areas could be a missed opportunity, and calls for industry, government and professional bodies to collaborate on roadmaps, guardrails and initiatives.
“This timely report provides a valuable global snapshot of how professionals across the built environment are thinking about AI – where they see potential, what’s holding them back, and how prepared they feel. The challenge now is to ensure AI is adopted responsibly, ethically and in ways that deliver real public good,” said Maureen Ehrenberg FRICS CRE, acting president-elect at RICS.