Architects embrace generative AI

A 2023 report by Cornell Tech highlights both the opportunities and challenges posed by generative AI (GAI) for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. By automating routine tasks, firms can improve productivity and innovate faster. AI tools can significantly reduce the time and cost of design processes, allowing architects and engineers to focus on higher-level creative tasks. Tools like lookX and Gaia facilitate rapid conceptualization and iteration in design. GAI can also be used for knowledge sharing within firms, improving collaboration and decision-making.

More broadly, the report forecasts a step-change disruption for the AEC industry—a one-time injection of new capabilities and cheap computation. Pressure to innovate workflows and offerings is most likely to come from the outside-in: startups offering specialized tools, clients demanding new approaches, and the bottom-up: teams and individuals adopting tools on their own.