Almost three-quarters of architecture, engineering and construction firms globally are now using AI in one or more phases of their building projects, according to new research
Building the Future: Bluebeam AEC Technology Outlook 2025 found that 74% of AEC firms are now using AI in at least part of their projects.
The use of AI in construction is most common in the design and planning phases. Almost half (48%) of AEC firms are using AI in design and 42% in planning.
Investment in AI in construction on the rise
Within the companies that are using AI, over half (55%) agree that AI has become highly important, with over 70% now allocating up to 25% of their budget to AI.
This is set to rise as the vast majority (84%) plan to increase their investment in AI over the next five years.
The survey found that a number of other digital tools are being adopted across the AEC sectors.
BIM is the most is the most-used technology (69%), followed by computer-aided design (CAD) (54%) and project management software (53%).
Barriers to digitalization
However, over half (54%) of those using AI are concerned about AI regulation and of those, 44% say these concerns are having a real impact on AI implementation within their companies.
A lack of technology skills are also a barrier to digitalization.
Almost a third (32%) of AEC firms reported a lack of training and skills development with their employees as a key challenge to increasing digitalization.
Other barriers include integration (27%) and technical (26%) issues.
This is despite the adoption of digital tools helping construction firms drive significant cost savings, with over a third (35%) of respondents reporting cost savings between $100,000 and $500,000 through the use of new technologies.
These challenges driving digitization continue to hold AEC firms back from eliminating paper-based physical documents from the construction process, with almost three quarters (72%) still using paper during one or more phases of the building lifecycle.
Of those firms who continue to rely on paper, the need for physical signatures or approvals was cited by almost half (46%) as the top reason behind continuing to use outdated paper-based processes.
“As digitization and the use of AI within the AEC sector increases, reliance on outdated paper-based approaches will continue to shrink, helping to drive cost savings and improve sustainability efforts in construction,” said Usman Shuja, chief executive officer at Bluebeam.
“AI is already revolutionizing the building process, so it is essential that educators, technology providers and construction industry leaders work together to produce new training initiatives that can capitalize on these innovations by helping bridge the AEC technology skills gap so we can continue to move the industry forward.”
