Article
The Pillars of Construction's Future
Productivity, Workforce, Decision-Making, and Design
A panel of construction leaders from Procore, McCarthy, Alberici and MJ Harris held a wide-ranging discussion on the Future of Construction at the AEC TechCon conference that took place May 7th and 8th.
Chapter 1
Executive Summary
The construction industry is at a critical juncture, facing both enormous growth in global construction spend ($22T) and substantial risk over the next 5 years. At the same time, innovation is outpacing adoption, highlighting a need for strategic investment and cultural change within organizations.
The speakers highlighted both a vision for the future and examples of early adoption successes. A key message from the speakers is that technology will augment, not replace, human expertise, making it more accessible and enabling more informed and efficient operations.
Challenges
In addition to the substantial growth in spend, the session also highlighted significant industry challenges such as talent shortages, supply chain issues, rework, and data inaccuracy. To address these challenges, the discussion focused on four key pillars of transformation:
Productivity
Workforce
Decision-Making
Design
Chapter 2
Main Themes and Key Ideas
The Construction Industry is Facing Accelerated Growth and Accelerated Risk:
The global construction spend is projected to reach $22 trillion in 2040, indicating significant growth potential.
This growth is accompanied by significant challenges, including:
$500 billion in rework, leading to project delays, budget overruns, and increased risk.
35% of time construction professionals spend on non-optimal tasks.
81% of organizations are not confident in the accuracy of available data on projects.
75% of projects are delayed due to talent shortage and supply chain issues.
41% of the current construction industry workforce is expected to retire by 2031.
Innovation is Outpacing Adoption in AEC Technology
Despite $11.5 billion invested in AEC Tech, research shows that a significant portion of the industry still relies on manual methods and lacks digital literacy.
45% of firms are still using manual methods.
50% of workers lack digital literacy.
70% of digital transformations fail.
This disparity underscores the urgent need for increased technology adoption to remain competitive.
“Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.”
Stewart Brand
American writer and futurist
Chapter 3
Technology as a Catalyst for a Smarter, Safer, and More Sustainable Future
Some of the data discussed in today’s session comes from extensive research that was recently published in a comprehensive report entitled The Future State of Construction. This report looks at trends over the next 2, 5 and 10 years. The panelist discussions and contents of the report both emphasize that technologies like AI, machine learning, robotics, and augmented reality are not just future possibilities but “catalysts for a smarter, safer, and more sustainable future.”
Chapter 4
Four Pillars of Future Transformation
The speakers in the session and the report further outlined four key pillars of transformation, all backed by a technology platform, people and data.
The Path to Future Productivity
Construction sites will integrate automation, robotics, and self-driving equipment to enhance skilled trades, improve quality, streamline tasks, and expand roles.
60% of firms will be or plan to be using robotics within 12 months
59% will be or plan to be using AI within 12 months
Technical skills are cited as the number one development goal for 45% of workers.
Upskilling has the biggest impact on digital transformation for 41% of leaders.
The Future of the Workforce
Technology will make expertise more accessible through hands-free technology and AR/VR, enabling experienced professionals to guide multiple sites remotely. This approach will make expertise more accessible, not replace it.
96% of firms report experiencing generational challenges
47% of firms currently have training programs for upskilling & reskilling
41% of firms plan to implement within 12 months
65% of firms believe new tech influences culture
The Future of Decision-Making
Leveraging past project data and AI will enable more informed and efficient decisions by automating routine workflows, coordination, and quality checks. AI will become an “additional team member, identifying issues that may have previously been overlooked or difficult to recognize.
80% of industry respondents agree that access to historical data is critical, having data connected is imperative, and accurate historical data significantly helps reduce financial risks.
The Future of Design
Engineering automation, intuitive tools, real-time digital twins, and smarter buildings will reduce errors, optimize design, and support vertical integration.
77% of the respondents agree that BIM is very or extremely valuable for improving project outcomes.
Research also shows that organizations with effective Precon strategies experience 65% less rework.
Chapter 5
Real World Examples of Innovation
The presenters then offered a range of real world examples to illustrate how transformation is happening across construction.
Examples include:
Unstructured Safety Data aggregation and trending at Alberici
Onsite use of AR & BIM with MJ Harris
Field Productivity Benchmarking at Alberici
Agenic A.I. at MJ Harris
Better precon with Haskell & ‘Join’ – tracking preconstruction budget and design decisions for increased client satisfaction
Fostering a Culture of Digital Builders at McCarthy
Training & Upskilling at MJ Harris
Chapter 6
Procore's Role in the Future of Construction
Procore took the opportunity to highlights its AI areas of excellence, including the following three areas.
Copilot: Enabling natural language interaction with Procore data for insights and suggestions
Agents and Automation: Automating tasks and workflows
Insights and Benchmarks: Identifying risks and benchmarking performance using comprehensive construction datasets
Chapter 7
Challenges and Opportunities for the Industry
Over the course of the session, the presenters sought attendee input on the biggest challenges facing the industry. These issues include:
Labor concerns
Economic factors
Technology advancements (potentially adoption or integration challenges)
External risks
Supply chain issues
Project management challenges
Operational concerns
Sustainability concerns
Chapter 8
Conclusion
The AGC MO AEC TechCon 2025 material painted a compelling picture of a construction industry on the cusp of significant transformation. While acknowledging pressing challenges, the focus is on the immense opportunities presented by technology.
The four pillars of transformation – Productivity, Workforce, Decision-Making, and Design – provide a framework for understanding how technology will reshape the industry. The emphasis on real-world success stories underscores that the future is being built today through early adoption and strategic investment. The call to action encourages industry professionals to proactively engage with this transformation to ensure they are part of the "steamroller" rather than the "road."