Julian Geiger, VP Head of AI Product and Transformation, Nemetschek Group, reveals a new chapter for the AEC/O industry with Nemetschek’s AI layer
More often than not, new technology leads to advancements in fields essential to life. From healthcare to education, manufacturing, transport, travel and almost everything in between, the application of technology has improved our quality of life in ways our ancestors could only dream of.
Artificial intelligence stands as humanity’s most transformative invention, poised to revolutionise our world in unprecedented ways. While thoughtful considerations guide its responsible implementation, there’s overwhelming optimism about AI’s potential as a beacon of “tech for good”. This groundbreaking technology promises to elevate every facet of society, ushering in an era of innovation, progress and prosperity.
At Nemetschek Group, our excitement extends far beyond the architecture, engineering, construction and operations (AEC/O) industry we serve. We envision a future where AI empowers the creation of intelligent, sustainable buildings that enhance the lives of their occupants.
These AI-supported structures will not only redefine our built environment but also foster healthier, more efficient and more connected communities. As we stand on the cusp of this AI-powered revolution, we’re filled with anticipation for the brighter, smarter world we’re helping to build.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to embark on this next chapter of our journey, and even more so to usher in a new era for the AEC/O industry, in which the boundaries of creativity and productivity can be pushed like never before.
AI paves the way to the industry’s future
To support this journey, we recently introduced an artificial intelligence layer that will span all brands of the Nemetschek Group and connect the dots across the entire AEC/O value chain – from design to engineering, construction and building operations.
Importantly, Nemetschek’s AI layer is so much more than a virtual assistant. We’re confident in stating that it is a revolutionary foundation that excels at addressing a variety of longstanding, industry-specific challenges facing stakeholders across the entire building lifecycle.
Throughout the history of the AEC/O industry, the creativity and productivity of AEC/O professionals have been stifled by outdated communication and collaboration processes, burdened by unnecessarily high costs and slowed by a myriad of inefficiencies in design, engineering, construction and building operations.
Those barriers must be removed if the industry is to be sustainable, profitable and future-ready. With AI, we have a tool, or even better, a partner, at our disposal that will play an important role in helping the industry to navigate the obstacles that have been holding it back for far too long.
With integrations across our full suite of brands and products, we are leveraging intelligence and automation to address these challenges and empower our clients with tailored AI-driven experiences that dramatically improve decision-making and workflow efficiency.
And despite the growing diversity of potential use cases, Nemetschek’s AI layer has one clear and simple purpose: to transform how AEC/O professionals approach design, engineering, construction and building management by making creativity more creative, and productivity more productive.
Time for AI to shine
To fully understand the value and opportunities of Nemetschek’s AI layer, it is essential to know the specific challenges it addresses for AEC/O professionals.
Across the sector, it is widely accepted that coordination and collaboration have become notoriously strained throughout the industry, leading to an increasing loss of productivity amid high material costs and labour shortages.
Not only do frequent miscommunications between architects, engineers and contractors often cause frustrating and time-consuming errors, perhaps more importantly, they also result in a loss in construction labour productivity that totals approximately $30bn-40bn each year.
Additionally, design, construction and maintenance processes continue to be plagued by challenges related to both accuracy and efficiency.
In the absence of meaningful technological innovation and digital transformation, AEC/O professionals often need to rely on more traditional methods, many of which are severely inefficient and make it difficult to make fast, well-informed decisions.
And with inefficiencies across the board currently contributing to 11% of labour costs wasted, there has never been a greater need to leverage digital tools to streamline workflows, enhance design accuracy and reduce unnecessary delays throughout the project lifecycle.
With those challenges in mind, how does integrating this new AI layer into our existing products specifically stand to benefit AEC/O stakeholders and the industry at large?
Nemetschek’s AI layer leverages secure cloud technology to process user requests efficiently, whether they are making simple inquiries or conducting complex tasks.
By managing users’ input quickly and delivering helpful responses, the AI layer supports a large range of use cases, from design ideation to task automation. The layer is modular and can understand natural language, unlocking new interaction patterns for users of our products.
The AI layer integrates seamlessly and enhances a wide range of functions. Intelligent automation plays a central role by offering automated task execution, adaptive project management and natural language interaction, simplifying even the most complex workflows.
Insight-driven decision-making is achieved through AI-powered data insights, which guide design processes and optimise decision-making.
Additionally, design augmentation allows AI to assist in design iterations, pattern creation, and scenario simulations, enabling more innovative and creative project outcomes. Those features ultimately enable better planning and execution for a better built world.
A key focus is on the user experience to make the interactions and engagements with the user more intuitive and efficient.
A new chapter for the AEC/O industry begins
While the last few decades have seen the emergence of many significant technologies, very few of them share the revolutionary potential of AI and arguably there are few other industries that stand to benefit from AI-driven enhancements in creativity and productivity as much as the AEC/O sector.
We’re excited to introduce these new capabilities, which represent just the beginning of our vision for responsible AI. This is the start of a long and increasingly transformative journey, in which we continue to push the boundaries of what AI can accomplish in the AEC/O industry, far beyond even our own imaginations.
*Please note that this is a commercial profile.
