For centuries, construction was about brute force. The next century will be about intelligence—smart materials, robotic precision, and data-driven design.
— Jim Carroll
The opportunity
Enable virtual modeling, simulation, and real-time monitoring of construction projects, leading to reduced errors, faster project completion, improved safety, and optimized lifecycle management of built assets.
From “Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #5 Construction: “For centuries, construction was about brute force. The next century will be about intelligence—smart materials, robotic precision, and data-driven design.”” (September 2025)
Digital twin technology & virtualization. The industry is moving from 2D blueprints to dynamic, 4D digital twins—virtual replicas of physical assets used from design through to lifelong operational management.
AI-driven design and project management . Artificial intelligence is becoming the new engine of construction intelligence, used to generate optimized designs, predict project timelines, and identify potential safety risks.
Digital Twins (Swinerton Construction) : Faced with severe restrictions on job site access during the COVID-19 lockdown, Swinerton deployed Matterport’s digital twin platform. The use of the immersive 3D model directly eliminated four weeks of potential project delays, reduced client travel time by 100%, and, by enabling early virtual reviews, saved the client thousands of dollars in prevented rework.
From “AI Megatrends - AI In Construction: Methodology, Insight, Planning and Project Management - Reinveinting an Industry At Speed” (April 2023)
As in many other industries, the construction sector has already been on a path to digitisation with the acceleration of technology. Computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modelling (BIM) concepts have accelerated the design and build process, but these have been but baby steps in a complex voyage.
And therein lies the rub. Much of this construction process involves a regular series of iterative processes, repeated over and over again. If we can automate this with some type of intelligent process management capability, and then examine the quality of our work, we have achieved something of significance – and that is where AI is taking us to. As in project management, we utilise AI to provide for better automation of the process, and examine the exceptions.
AI will enable more constellations of connected solutions around established use cases, such as 3-D printing, modularization, robotics, digital twin technology, AI and analytics, and supply chain optimization and marketplaces
From “Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #4 : Digital Twinning “With a digital twin, we don’t just envision the future; we build it, test it, and perfect it, long before it ever touches the real world.”” (June 2025)
Digital twin technology is already being used in supply chains, building management and design, manufacturing and more.
Digital twin technology has become a game-changer for industries and companies tasked with monitoring, managing and maintaining physical assets. While the concept of digital twin technology has existed for years, rapid advancements in drone technology have made their creation more practical and impactful.
The integration of drones with digital twin technology is reshaping how industries approach asset management and visualization. By offering comprehensive, dynamic models of physical systems, these models enhance decision-making, reduce risks and improve collaboration. Whether for construction planning, historical preservation, or operational efficiency, the ability to capture high-quality data through the use of advanced drone capabilities is allowing construction organizations to fully harness the potential of digital twins to revolutionize their workflows and project outcomes.
Read the full pieces on jimcarroll.com:
Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #5 Construction: “For centuries, construction was about brute force. The next century will be about intelligence—smart materials, robotic precision, and data-driven design.”
AI Megatrends - AI In Construction: Methodology, Insight, Planning and Project Management - Reinveinting an Industry At Speed
Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #4 : Digital Twinning “With a digital twin, we don’t just envision the future; we build it, test it, and perfect it, long before it ever touches the real world.”