With AI, ‘walk before you run’: Skanska USA exec

Anita Nelson needs you to start out small with synthetic intelligence.

The chief technique officer for Skanska USA Constructing, the U.S. arm of the Swedish builder and developer, Nelson mentioned the suite of AI merchandise that the contractor has rolled out to its workers, which it calls Sidekicks. 

The Security Sidekick, Skanska’s latest inner providing, helps workers entry Skanska knowledge on security and jobsite situations. It helps workers plan toolbox talks and huddles, and offers them a useful resource at their disposal.

Right here, Nelson talks with Building Dive in regards to the Security Sidekick’s origins, the way it suits into the corporate’s present AI suite and the recommendation she has for builders seeking to incorporate AI into their very own workflows.

Editor’s Observe: This interview has been edited for brevity and readability.

CONSTRUCTION DIVE: How did the thought of the Skanska Security Sidekick come about?

ANITA NELSON: We noticed a must make these insights extra rapid and extra actionable on jobsites. This knowledge shouldn’t be typically leveraged in actual time. Sidekick permits us to take a look at that knowledge in a particular approach. 

Utilizing generative AI educated on Skanska-specific security knowledge and jobsite situations, it permits us to ship customized toolbox talks, security observations and proactive strategies to staff.

On a day-to-day foundation, which means staff can ask the AI device security associated questions by way of cell or desktop and get immediate help for planning a morning huddle or addressing a brand new hazard.

Past textual content, for those who’ve bought an image of website situations that day, you may ask questions associated to that picture. The device can be embedded into our workflow, so it isn’t an added step within the day, it’s very person pleasant.

Security Sidekick is one in every of a set of AI choices that Skanska has. How does it match into that?

Our knowledge options staff, in collaboration with data know-how, they’ve developed 4 safe inner AI instruments. 

There’s Skanska Sidekick, which relies on OpenAI’s GPT-4o mannequin. That’s a basic use chat bot that protects person enterprise knowledge so you may ask it something inside our group or outdoors our group. 

Then we’ve three “professional” sidekicks. 

One’s referred to as My Skanska Sidekick, and that searches for key paperwork on our inner intranet website. So, for those who’re on the lookout for a threat administration protocol or our sustainability report, or who’s the chief of one thing, you may ask it for that.

Then, we’ve an Operational Danger Sidekick, which is one in every of my different favorites, for our of us within the discipline. It’s comprised of hundreds of case research and experiences throughout totally different venture varieties and constructing methods. It provides you methods and mitigation plans for current dangers on jobs.

Security Sidekick is the most recent member of our suite.

What hurdles did it’s important to clear to make this AI accessible to your staff?

As a result of we had developed others, it was actually about ensuring that we bought the paperwork in place.

Our early customers consistently give us suggestions in actual time on what’s working and what’s not. We do not launch issues, you recognize, to all 3000-plus constructing workers instantly. We take time to pilot, see what’s working, see what’s not. 

I do not suppose we bumped into any hurdles on this specific launch, as a result of the know-how is there.

I do not wish to say it is as simple as plug-and-play, as a result of my knowledge scientists would inform me it is extra advanced than that. However actually, lots of our challenges are going to be in regards to the high quality of the info and whether or not our knowledge warehouse has the precise data.

What have been the advantages?

Our early customers are positively reporting time saved when making ready security briefings and improved jobsite engagement. I believe that’s vital. 

Once you’re making ready for a morning huddle, you is perhaps making ready for that the evening earlier than. You is perhaps planning that day earlier than in your commute. 

This makes it very easy for folks. They are not attending to the trailer and figuring it out. They are not staying late the evening earlier than to determine it out.

What recommendation would you give a smaller contractor who needs to implement this type of tech?

Begin with the info that you recognize. You begin with the low hanging fruit. Once you’re generative AI or language fashions, when you have paperwork and also you wish to have them scanned and create a chat bot on high of it, that is all effectively and good.

However, if there’s not an infrastructure that you simply put money into to try this, that is the place you are going to run into bother. 

Moreover, we had been in a position to construct this ourselves. Do not suppose it’s important to construct it your self.