Future Narrative

Last night marked another productive milestone. With just two of us supervising, our AI-enabled dozer fleet autonomously leveled the new construction site overnight, flawlessly and ahead of schedule. Within a few weeks, this area will be home to a new big-box retail warehouse, a testament to the speed and precision of modern construction technology. The efficiency we've achieved isn’t just impressive—it’s transformative, significantly reducing commercial construction costs. I like to think that the safer, more streamlined methods we’re pioneering are contributing in a small but meaningful way to the lower retail prices my family—and many others—are now seeing at the checkout line.

In addition to site preparation, infrastructure placement and maintenance have experienced a technical revolution. Juan and his crew will start laying power and water infrastructure lines later this week. They now use equipment that displays the location of legacy piping and underground power lines, as well as where to place new infrastructure.

Things are much safer today as well. Just across the street, construction of a mixed-residential housing complex is underway. The team there is digging to make way for an underground parking lot. My friend Thomas said they are digging with remotely operated equipment, so workers are no longer exposed to temporary wall supports, making digging operations far safer.

New jobs are emerging to make all of this possible. Maintenance of our fleet of construction equipment is more important than ever, as uptime is critical. As systems and equipment become more advanced, new trade skills are needed. My cousin is currently in school, learning about construction fleet management. We catch up on things every month or so. It's great to see a new generation of construction workers innovating in new ways, enhancing quality, efficiency, and safety.

Technology

GPS and remote control technologies will empower smaller numbers of construction workers to manage site equipment and operations more efficiently and precisely.

Ground-penetrating radar, precision GPS, and integrated construction databases will protect existing infrastructure and enable the more accurate placement of new infrastructure.

Remotely operated vehicles increase operator safety. Operating vehicles at a distance is beneficial when digging out voids for building foundations or performing forestry management.

Implications

Construction costs may drop dramatically, which in turn lowers costs in other sectors of the economy. New equipment manufacturing, technology, and maintenance jobs will emerge, requiring new forms of construction site training.

Futureproof is a series of occasional provocations illustrating possible future paths for technology and culture. Think postcards from the future.

Futureproof: AI Assisted Construction

Remotely operated vehicles increase operator safety. Operating vehicles at a distance is beneficial when digging out voids for building foundations or performing forestry management.

Construction costs may drop dramatically, which in turn lowers costs in other sectors of the economy. New equipment manufacturing, technology, and maintenance jobs will emerge, requiring new forms of construction site training.