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I recently had a very enriching conversation with a good friend about the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the AEC industry (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction).
It’s amazing what we can achieve today with the tools available: with just a few clicks, we’re able to simulate human behavior, generate photorealistic images, predict urban traffic, detect defects in our projects, and even optimize the critical path of a schedule. Processes that once took days or weeks can now be completed in a matter of minutes.
However, assuming that technology alone can guarantee the success of a project is a serious mistake. Today, it’s people who make the key decisions, manage resources, and align processes with project goals.
AI as an extension, not a replacement
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that AI is designed to be a helpful tool that reduces the margin of human error. It functions as an extension of our capabilities, allowing us to do more with fewer resources, in the best possible way. Using it instead as an indiscriminate substitute for human judgment would be not only ineffective but also unethical.
Professional judgment remains essential
Every project has different goals, which is why professional judgment remains critical. Experts, with their technical knowledge and experience in human interaction, are still irreplaceable. Important decisions require context, sensitivity, and responsibility — three factors that no technology can fully replicate.
Moreover, projects should comply with principles of environmental, social, and economic sustainability, which demands a comprehensive vision that only professionals can provide.
People: the true driving force behind projects
The most successful projects share one common element: collaborative work. When people work together with a shared purpose, a sense of ownership arises that brings out the best in each individual: creativity. And this creativity is essential to solving the most complex engineering challenges in order to meet the client’s goals.
While the promise of technology is exciting, we must not lose sight of reality: the true value lies in how we use these tools. And that’s where a comprehensive management method called VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) comes into play.
VDC: Technology, processes, and people aligned
VDC becomes a key element in modern projects because it allows all technological, human, and process resources to be aligned toward the right objectives. The ideal is clear: having the right people, using the right technologies, in processes designed by them and aligned with the client’s goals.
That is the essence of VDC — a work methodology that, when applied correctly, is the most solid path to a successful project.
