Building Smarter: AI's Role in the Next Era of Construction

An Owner’s AI Roadmap for Construction: Questions to Ask Your Builder 

Just as a foundation is needed to build upon, a solid AI strategy is necessary to ensure AI is used efficiently and wisely. When planning a construction project, ask your builder a few key questions about their AI approach: 

1. How does AI help make the work more efficient?
2. What steps are you taking to keep my data safe?
3. How do you double-check that AI is giving accurate info?
4. Can your AI capabilities evolve with my project and goals? 

How AI Improves Construction Efficiency 

The number of AI applications for construction is growing exponentially. Builders who use AI without a clear strategy risk ending up with a collection of costly tools that don’t connect — creating data silos and limiting value for both current and future projects. Instead of chasing point solutions, strong building partners take an enterprise approach: they work with clients to select interoperable tools, establish consistent data standards, and align use cases to clear business outcomes. This approach creates a foundation that can scale, adapt as technology evolves, and deliver measurable improvements in safety, schedule, cost, and overall project experience. 

Protecting Your Data When Using AI 

Owners need to be able to count on a building partner who will protect their proprietary information — from designs and construction documents to budgets, equipment specifications and more. Trust builds high-performing teams, including how AI tools are selected and used on your project. A responsible partner will vet AI vendors carefully before bringing them into your project ecosystem. Ask if their systems use encryption, permissions and other safeguards to keep your data safe. Also, ask about the policies and training they provide to help employees use AI tools safely, securely, and confidentially. 

Ensuring AI Provides Accurate Information 

Ensuring AI is accurate starts with the quality of the data behind it. Here are three best practices to help AI deliver reliable information: 

1. Connect to reliable data – Your AI tools should pull from a single, up-to-date source of project data instead of scattered systems or one-off applications.
2. Built-in human review – For critical decisions, a qualified team member should review AI outputs for accuracy and consistency before they’re used. That includes checking dates and source documents—such as policies, regulations and project specifications—to confirm the AI is using current information and can show where it came from.
3. Use feedback to improve – Your AI tools should capture user feedback and use it to strengthen future results. This helps improve accuracy over time and sets your next projects up for success. 

AI Capabilities That Grow With Your Project Goals 

AI should scale with your project and adapt as your needs change. Here are a few ways it can add value throughout the project life cycle: 

• Access to information – Use AI to quickly search project specifications, meeting minutes, RFIs, submittals and contact lists so teams can find answers in seconds instead of digging through folders.
• Safety insights – Bring safety data into AI to help qualify subcontractors, identify trends and make more informed risk assessments at key project milestones.
• Design review – Ask AI to compare drawings and trade models to flag changes, clashes and coordination issues much faster than manual reviews.
• RFIs and submittals – Use AI to draft RFIs and submittals, freeing engineers to spend more time in the field supporting quality and schedule. 

Turning AI into Measurable Owner Value 

AI isn’t just a buzzword — it’s about working smarter and delivering real results. At McCarthy, we’ve seen time savings of 2–3 hours per week per employee, adding up to more than 200,000 productive hours across our workforce — the equivalent of adding 100 digital team members.  

In sustainability, AI helped us scan over 39,000 pages of invoices for greenhouse gas audits, saving an estimated 4,600 hours of manual work. AI-powered tools are also helping our marketing and business development teams onboard faster and communicate more effectively. 

What We’ve Discovered 

Using AI well doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a clear strategy, training and a thoughtful rollout. 

Here are a few lessons we’ve learned: 

• Have a plan – A small set of connected AI tools that all use the same trusted data will serve you better than a mix of disconnected apps pulling from different sources.
• Put people first – AI should make it easier for your teams to do their best work, not replace them. Machines are helpful, but human judgment is still essential.
• Guide the change – Not everyone is an early adopter. Share why you’re using AI, give simple ways to get started and create space for questions and feedback.
• Protect your data – New technology brings new security risks. Make sure you and your building partners follow strong security practices and regularly review how AI tools handle and store your information. 

Looking Ahead: AI, Done Right 

At McCarthy, we’re not chasing trends. We’re building a future where AI helps us serve our clients better — responsibly, securely, and with people at the center. We encourage our clients and partners to engage early in AI strategy conversations with us. Together, we can unlock the full potential of these tools and protect what matters most. 

About the Author 

Enrico Bertucci graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Civil Engineering and joined McCarthy Holdings, Inc. in 2012. Based in Newport Beach, California, Enrico serves as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. He has helped shape the company’s approach to innovation in construction, including the launch of subsurface utility mapping services and support for the adoption of technology across project teams. He’s passionate about utilizing emerging tools, such as AI, to solve real-world challenges on jobsites and make construction safer and more efficient for clients, partners, and communities.