This will be a pivotal year for the use of AI in construction projects. As adoption continues to rise, the role of AI tools will mature, the risks will intensify, and the C-Suite will demand answers to new questions. Here are six shifts you can expect to see within the next 12 months.
According to the Association for Project Management (APM), the uptake of AI in construction has soared, with 75% of organisations using it in projects compared to 15% just two years ago. Gleeds’ UK market survey also indicates increased adoption: in Q4 of 2025 39% of responding organisations used AI and digital tools on between a quarter and all of their projects, rising from 31% in Q1. We anticipate this figure will continue to climb through 2026.
The ways in which AI is being applied are also evolving.
AI will move from tool to team-mate.
From isolated pilot projects aimed at specific tasks, AI will grow to support end-to-end, enterprise-wide project management capabilities. At Gleeds, we’ve been integrating AI into our core services to create platforms such as the digital PMO Orchestrate.
Back in 2019, Gartner forecast that by 2030 AI will run 80% of project management tasks. The shift is already discernible: in a 2023 survey from the Association for Project Management (APM), 63% of construction project managers said their organisations weren't using AI. By 2025, this had dropped to 0%. Rather than replacing the human project manager, however, AI will augment their skills and enhance their ability to deliver complex projects – supporting with tasks such as resource allocation, real-time reporting, and risk analysis.
The C-Suite will insist on proven value.
Leadership now has a solid understanding of what generative AI is, and what it can accomplish. They’re now asking exactly how it can be used to improve the business’s productivity and profitability, ultimately creating value.
To build the confidence needed to invest in wider adoption, the senior team will expect proof of ROI and want to know how AI strategy is aligned with corporate objectives. Demonstrating impact will be vital.
Responsible use of AI will take centre-stage.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has introduced the first global professional standard for the responsible use of AI in surveying, which will become mandatory for the whole industry on 9 March.
Gleeds has played an instrumental part in shaping the standard, which provides best practice guidance to ensure AI tools are used ethically, transparently, and with professional oversight. Requirements include implementing clear policies around data use and AI systems, and informing clients in writing when and how AI will be used in delivering their services.
Innovation and governance must be finely balanced.
For AI to reach its full potential, project managers, surveyors and consultants need to be empowered to experiment with novel ways to use the technology to solve problems, within centralised guardrails that assure consistency and security.
At Gleeds, we operate on a principle of ‘freedom within a framework’. This framework includes governance around areas such as data quality, a standardised way of working, and the right training.
Employees need to know ‘what’s in it for me?’
Making sure adoption sticks will be another challenge for 2026. To secure buy-in, and then sustain engagement, teams need a comprehensive understanding of how AI can eliminate tedious tasks and help them become more effective. Solutions should always be co-created with the people who’ll be using them, to ensure their pain points are addressed.
Dedicated leadership will become a non-negotiable.
Each organisation needs a leader to steer the ship, whether that’s a Head of AI, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), or Director of Data Science. Until recently, the remit of the individual in this role has revolved around evangelism. 2026 will see a sharp pivot towards execution: determining strategy, establishing clear governance, developing strong AI literacy, and ensuring tools solve real-world business problems.
Within the next couple of years, AI will be standing alongside human professionals, in effect working as a digital project manager. Imagine an AI agent that can autonomously monitor a construction site through Gleeds’ Visualise platform, check progress against the project plan, identify potential delays, and suggest a course of action.
The pace of change will be rapid – and AI adoption is anything but a ‘one time fix’; it will demand constant movement and metamorphosis. Construction organisations face a unique set of challenges here, as a risk averse sector which operates with fragmented systems and layers of legacy infrastructure. This means they can’t simply import ‘plug-and-play’ AI strategies and solutions that were born in other sectors, such as finance or manufacturing.
To keep up with developments, they need a trusted advisor who can bridge the domains of technology and construction, equipping and guiding the organisation to implement responsible, safe and profitable AI at scale.
