Recently, Ankura hosted "The Great Debate: The Impact of AI on Construction," a panel event held in London in which participants explored the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the construction industry. Industry leaders, legal experts, and technology specialists gathered to discuss the implications of AI on both the construction and legal sectors. Panel and audience members in attendance provided fascinating insights into the readiness of the construction industry to embrace AI-based innovation, alongside the legal implications of doing so.
AI’s Use in Design and Construction Project Phases
One major theme of the debate concerned the integration of AI tools into the design and construction process. The consensus reached was that currently, AI is primarily used at a superficial level within the construction industry. Low profit margins and a lack of overall awareness of the benefits of AI are cited as barriers to greater investment in AI-based technology by the industry.
Despite these challenges, AI is beginning to make inroads into live construction projects. The use of digital twins, real-time 3D models of construction sites, was discussed as being a significant benefit. This data capture, often recorded by drones or 360-degree cameras, is used to overlay the building information models (BIM) and AI technology to determine the progress status of the work, assist in monthly valuations, and enable real-time project planning and defect detection.
Looking ahead to the future, large language models (LLMs) are anticipated to play a crucial role in early design decisions by providing insights into material selection and cost estimation. The adoption of AI tools with language interfaces will allow users to interact via voice commands, and is expected to replace traditional tools, enhancing process efficiency and accuracy. AI agents will likewise be routinely used to automate design processes.
These advancements are not without their challenges. The quality and quantity of data that AI models are trained on are critical, as poor data may lead to inaccurate outputs. Moreover, the clarity of human-AI interactions, or “prompting,” is essential to obtaining accurate results. Panellists further considered the human intervention, verification, and oversight of AI-based output as fundamental to its successful adoption.
As part of the conversation at the event, those in attendance were asked their thoughts on several pivotal questions related to the use of AI in construction. According to one poll, 70% of participants believe that AI will have a significant, but gradual, impact on the industry. Interestingly, a further 21% also felt that AI will be fully transformative and revolutionise the industry.
Ankura Takeaway: While AI has yet to be fully adopted by the construction industry, the results of the audience poll suggest that industry professionals are overwhelmingly positive about its potential, and that its adoption will prove significant or transformative over time. How long that transformation will take remains an open question.
AI Adoption in Construction Disputes
Another highlight of the debate was the consideration of the use of AI within construction disputes. Experts remained hesitant to adopt AI, fearing criticism by tribunals, particularly when AI forms the basis of an expert methodology or opinion. Nonetheless, the benefits of using AI tools at the outset of a dispute for sorting/categorising/filtering mass data were discussed. At this stage of the process, sufficient oversight and validation of AI’s output could be maintained.
Ankura’s predictive models — which allow for the identification of delay and disruption evidence through the analyses of project records, including emails and reports — were discussed. These models, having been machine-trained on sample data to detect specific delay events, are beneficial in both a proactive and retrospective role. Proactive delay modelling allows for real-time management of delay issues as they arise. As a retrospective tool, delay experts can pinpoint particular delay events and their causes from large data sets significantly quicker, allowing for early case assessment in a much more streamlined manner.
The integration of AI tools into construction contracts presents a challenge for legal professionals. Concerns about data quality and the potential for AI to replace human roles further complicate the narrative, underscoring the need for clear legal frameworks to be adopted within the construction industry. Contract forms and legal frameworks were discussed, with the implication of risk allocation of AI needing to be agreed at the outset of a contract.
The debate polled the use of AI by the legal and expert community. According to the results, 79% of participants had yet to encounter AI being used by either an expert or legal team in a formal dispute.
Ankura Takeaway: Evident from the audience response, the wide-scale use of AI by legal professionals remains rather muted. Concerns remain over the risk of breach of confidentiality, hallucinations, and intellectual property rights. Despite these concerns, the debate considered the cost and time benefits of the legal community adopting AI tools for automating and processing voluminous construction records.
AI Adoption Within the Judiciary
The judiciary's adoption of AI tools was also examined, highlighting potential benefits including reduced preparation times and cost savings through automation. A poll conducted during the event revealed that 65% of respondents viewed automation of routine tasks as the main potential benefit of AI being used by the judiciary. Other advantages include enhanced decision-making and improved access to justice via broader legal resources and support to parties.
Ankura Takeaway: Unpredictable outputs and hallucinations remain key concerns in the judiciary’s adoption of AI at trials. AI-generated judgments were considered to lack the depth of human understanding, necessitating human oversight and verification. A cautious approach was considered essential for adopting AI innovation within the boundaries of the judiciary.
Future Trajectory and Industry Readiness
While AI promises to enhance efficiency in the construction industry, it is unlikely to fully replace human expertise. Oversight of AI outputs remains a key issue. AI should be leveraged as an additive tool that complements existing processes, facilitating improvements in efficiency and accuracy. As the industry navigates this technological evolution, staying ahead of the curve and fostering continuous learning will be crucial to unlocking AI's full potential.
"Ankura’s 2025 Great Debate" underscored the transformative potential of AI within the construction industry and associated legal domain. Nonetheless, significant challenges associated with its adoption remain. A collaborative approach, in which AI and human oversight work together, is essential for wide-scale adoption in the sector. Responsibly embracing AI will best serve the industry as it continues to evolve.
For further insights into Ankura AI-based construction analytics tools, please contact:
Nathaniel Huber-Fliflet, Senior Managing Director, Data Analytics & Legal Technology Services,
Tom Francis, Senior Managing Director, Construction Disputes and Advisory,
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© Copyright 2025. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Ankura Consulting Group, LLC., its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals. Ankura is not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice.
