“Digital” is shorthand for the use of digital data and technologies to help manage a business. Digital does not replace other management techniques. Dealing with people in all their oddness will always remain the biggest challenge. But digital automation has been proven to raise productivity and create entirely new markets in other sectors of our economy. 

“GPT-4 can solve difficult problems with greater accuracy, thanks to its broader general knowledge and problem solving abilities.” OpenAI

Improving productivity and safety is a difficult problem. So why not solve this problem for construction as well? Especially for the small and medium sized firms that make up most of the industry. 

Let’s ask ChatGPT for help. What does the latest AI suggest to accelerate Construction’s Digital Transformation.

ChatGpt’s Advice Is – Pretty Obvious

The newest AI tools all “learn” by examining text and images residing on the Internet. If what AI “learns” is based on factual, vetted and validated data, the results can be quite helpful. Doctors, lawyers, architects, accountants, etc. are beginning to confirm that quick access to a large body of knowledge can help them do their job better. 

But if what AI “learns” is just commonplace and based on the vast repetition of common sense, nonsense, and attention-getting that is the Internet? 

Well, if you are lucky, you will get common sense. But that may not be so useful. Here for example: “How do I get construction crews to use software?”

Getting construction crews to adopt software can be challenging, but there are several strategies you can use to increase the likelihood of success. Here are a few suggestions:

• Involve the crews in the software selection process: …
• Provide training and support: …
• Make it user-friendly: …
• Demonstrate the benefits: …
• Encourage feedback:….

Overall, getting construction crews to adopt software requires a combination of careful planning, training, support, and communication. 

ChatGPT’s does come in nice grammatical sentences. But it’s obvious to the point of useless. Here’s another Captain Obvious example: “How do I get construction companies to adopt digital transformation?”

Adopting digital transformation in construction companies can be challenging, but there are several strategies that you can consider to encourage its adoption. Here are a few suggestions:

• Educate them on the benefits of digital transformation:
• Show them how it works: 
• Address their concerns: 
• Offer training and support:.
• Foster a culture of innovation: 

Remember that digital transformation is an ongoing process that requires a long-term commitment from construction companies. 

I suppose if the past thirty years of technology adoption have passed you by, these trivial suggestions might get you started. But only if you trust a computer more than a human expert. Otherwise, these are hopelessly high level and pretty useless.

My next posts will have more practical advice based on actual industry structure, practices and culture.  Compared to ChatGPT, shouldn’t be difficult!