Brainstorm

Is AI already being used in the construction industry? Can AI make the same construction plans as a human? Can AI eventually be able to do the physical labor construction workers do? Do construction workers fear AI will take their job? Would AI differ in the quality of construction work rather than humans? Is AI capable of producing hands-on work?

Topics:

  1. Is AI already in the construction industry?
  2. If AI makes certain mistakes, how will this impact the blueprints of a new construction building?
  3. If AI takes over the construction industry what will happen to the millions of construction workers?
  4. Will AI speed up or slow down the process of construction?

Two PSA I like: 

-Safety First 30-Second PSA. (2018). [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MiOKd9K8MY

-The, I. (2019). DRUNK DRIVING PSA. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJYQRk5nM4

Article about AI:

–https://www.constructconnect.com/blog/ai-in-construction-has-landed

–https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710221011578

Week 3

Version 1: My Writing

Title: AI in the Construction Industry

It’s no shock that AI is rapidly growing, and making its way into almost every industry. Many construction workers and students trying to get into that field are worried about their future in the industry. Although AI can’t physically build yet, it could however take over the managing aspect of a construction job. As of right now, AI is able to make schedules, help with budgeting, etc… This is what the construction industry calls the pre-construction process, which basically assures a smooth route during the actual construction process. Many people are worried they’ll lose their job, but they shouldn’t be worried because that’s when it becomes an issue. As long as you stay composed you should be fine, because just like humans, AI could make mistakes, and it will be up to you to fix it. The combination of humans and AI in the construction industry is very powerful.

Version 2: Chat GPT for a 6th grader

Title: AI in the Construction Industry

It’s no surprise that AI is growing fast and showing up in almost every job field, including construction. Many construction workers and students hoping to work in construction are worried about what this means for their future. While AI can’t actually build things yet, it can handle some of the planning work for a construction job. Right now, AI can help with making schedules, planning budgets, and other steps that come before the building starts. This part is called the pre-construction process, and it helps make sure everything goes smoothly once building begins. Some people worry they’ll lose their jobs, but they don’t need to. Staying calm and focused is important, because even AI can make mistakes—and humans will still be needed to fix them. Working together, humans and AI can be very powerful in the construction industry.

APA Citation:

ChatGPT. (2024). Chatgpt.com. https://chatgpt.com/c/6727a72a-ed28-8009-94f7-e29e0e9c97fc

‌Version 3: Chat GPT for a person with a PHD

Title: AI in the Construction industry

The rapid advancement of AI is reshaping numerous industries, including construction. This shift raises concerns among construction professionals and aspiring entrants about their long-term roles. While AI lacks the capability for physical construction, it increasingly supports the managerial and logistical aspects of project workflows. Currently, AI assists with scheduling, budgeting, and other elements central to pre-construction planning—a phase essential for ensuring streamlined operations during the actual build. Though some may worry about job displacement, it’s worth noting that human expertise remains crucial. AI systems, like any technology, are fallible and depend on human oversight to address potential errors. The integration of AI with human decision-making holds considerable potential for enhancing efficiency and precision in construction.

APA Citation:

ChatGPT. (2024). Chatgpt.com. https://chatgpt.com/c/6727a72a-ed28-8009-94f7-e29e0e9c97fc

Comparison Essay:

When I first started writing my PSA, I couldn’t really figure out who my intended audience was other than the current construction workers. But as I started writing it looked into some helpful sources, as well as peer reviewing some of my classmates papers, I also knew I had to include the next generation of construction workers, which are the people in school that want to get a degree in the construction field. This is because the people that already have a job in the construction field, will most likely keep their job, but the people that are just getting out of college looking for a job, it may be a little tougher for them since, AI could already do most of the stuff that they were taught to do in school.

 The first Chat GPT version was not what I expected to be honest, I initially thought that I would get basically a new text about the same topic, but what I got instead was a paraphrased copy of my PSA. This definitely does make sense though considering I told Chat GPT to rewrite my PSA for a sixth grade reading level. It definitely was a success though because a sixth grader obviously doesn’t have the reading levels that a college student would have, so it does put some of my points into simpler terms for the sixth grade reader to understand. 

The second Chat GPT version was a success in my opinion. I initially asked AI to rewrite my PSA for a reader that has a PHD. And that is exactly what AI did. It took my writing and not only made it sound more professional, but took a bunch of my ideas and elaborated more on it. With my first Chat Gpt for the sixth grader that was a very small difference in a few of the sentences but I feel like in this version, it’s all completely different, if somebody gave made me read my PSA and AI’s PSA there’s a possibility I would’ve thought that they’re two completely different PSA’s.

Cornerstone Sources:

Mosca, L. (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence Powers A New Era In Construction. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/louismosca/2023/07/12/artificial-intelligence-powers-a-new-era-in-construction/

‌Rao, S. (2022, April 6). The Benefits of AI In Construction. Trimble.com; Trimble Construction. https://constructible.trimble.com/construction-industry/the-benefits-of-ai-in-construction

‌Week 5:

Title: AI in the Construction Industry

Key Question: How is AI going to impact the construction industry for the current workers and the next generation of people wanting to get into the construction industry?

Body Text: It’s no shock that AI is rapidly growing, and making its way into almost every industry. Many construction workers and students trying to get into that field are worried about their future in the industry. Although AI can’t physically build yet, it could however take over the managing aspect of a construction job. Currently, AI assists with scheduling, budgeting, and other elements central to pre-construction planning—a phase essential for ensuring streamlined operations during the actual build. Many people are worried they’ll lose their job, but they shouldn’t be worried because that’s when it becomes an issue. As long as you stay composed you should be fine, because just like humans, AI could make mistakes, and it will be up to you to fix it. The combination of humans and AI in the construction industry is very powerful.

Call to Action: Don’t fear AI entering the construction industry. You won’t lose your job as long as you maintain your patience. Together you and AI could make the construction industry a stronger and safer industry.

Reflection:

The past few weeks have been a difficult but fun learning experience writing my own PSA. It took me a while to figure out what I want to write about, and how I want to put my thoughts together. But when I finally figured all that out, it all kind of came naturally to me. I don’t view my writing skills as a strong suit, but for the most part I’m pretty happy with how my overall PSA turned out. Doing this paper helped me learn how to use chat gpt to my benefit. Prior to this assignment I never really wanted to use chat gpt because it didn’t feel like it was my own work, but after working with AI for a few weeks I learned that I don’t need to get answers from chat gpt, I could simply use it as a little hint. And from that little hint I could use my own mind to create my own work. 

For me the easiest part of this PSA was gathering all of my references. I never knew how many articles the internet had on my topic. But I came to find out that there’s a bunch. And I knew that all of the references were trustworthy when I read through a bunch of them and literally all of the articles had the same information. Another easy part of this assignment was figuring out which information was necessary for me and which wasn’t, because I could’ve put a bunch of information in this assignment but a lot of it would be either repetitive or information that isn’t totally necessary. Some of the hardest parts of this PSA was working with chat gpt. This is because I never really used AI as much as I did for this assignment and it was just a new experience. The worst thing was how every time I put in the same information I would get a different answer. This is because there were times where I forgot to write down some of the things AI gave me and I couldn’t quite remember what I wanted to write after that. 

If I had another week to write this PSA I would probably try to work on my comparison essay a bit more. I already feel like my comparison essay is pretty strong, but I feel like it’s definitely not my best work. Some things I feel like I could’ve added is why I chose to rewrite my PSA to those 2 particular groups of people, which were sixth graders and people that have a PHD. But other than this I wouldn’t change much else. 

How have my views on generative AI changed during this project? Now that I’ve completed this project I don’t think my views have changed much. I’m still not the biggest fan of using AI. This is because of the possibility that it still might not give you the correct information. I could ask AI for some help with something that I’m struggling with and there’s a possibility that AI could give me the wrong answer, and I might be put in the wrong direction.

Sources:

ChatGPT. (2024). Chatgpt.com. https://chatgpt.com/c/6727a72a-ed28-8009-94f7-e29e0e9c97fc

Dockery, D. (2023, February 21). AI in Construction Has Landed. Www.constructconnect.com. https://www.constructconnect.com/blog/ai-in-construction-has-landed

‌Mosca, L. (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence Powers A New Era In Construction. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/louismosca/2023/07/12/artificial-intelligence-powers-a-new-era-in-construction/

‌Rao, S. (2022, April 6). The Benefits of AI In Construction. Trimble.com; Trimble Construction. https://constructible.trimble.com/construction-industry/the-benefits-of-ai-in-construction

Week 6:

#1 Key Question
My project investigates a crucial question: How is AI going to impact the construction industry for current workers and the next generation looking to enter this field? With AI’s growing presence in construction, the question centers on its effects not only on the job roles of current workers but also on the opportunities available to those just entering the industry.

#2 Final PSA Summary
The PSA I developed highlights how AI is transforming construction by taking on significant pre-construction tasks like scheduling, budgeting, and project management. Though AI doesn’t yet perform physical labor, it’s already a valuable tool for project planning and logistics. This increased use of AI raises valid concerns about job displacement. However, the PSA assures construction workers and students aspiring to join the industry that AI isn’t a replacement for human skill but rather a tool to enhance productivity and efficiency. Human oversight remains essential, as AI can still make errors that only human expertise can address. Therefore, rather than fearing AI, workers are encouraged to view it as a collaborator that, when combined with human skills, can make construction projects stronger and safer.

#3 What I Learned
Throughout this project, I gained a new perspective on how AI can serve as a resource rather than a threat. Initially, I was skeptical about relying on AI tools, but this process showed me that AI can provide insightful guidance, not definitive answers, and can support my creative process without taking it over. I also learned the importance of tailoring my message to different audiences by adapting my PSA for groups as varied as sixth graders and PhD holders. This helped me understand how to communicate complex ideas in ways that fit different levels of knowledge and familiarity with the topic.

#4 Key References
Three references were especially valuable:

  1. Forbes article, “Artificial Intelligence Powers A New Era in Construction” by Louis Mosca: This source was crucial because it explores how AI is impacting the construction industry specifically. It provides a big-picture view of AI’s capabilities in managing tasks like cost estimation and project timelines, which helped reinforce my PSA’s message on AI’s role in pre-construction processes.
  2. Constructible’s article, “The Benefits of AI in Construction” by Srinath Rao: This resource detailed the practical benefits of AI in construction, including how it can streamline labor-intensive tasks and reduce risks in construction planning. It highlighted AI’s role in preventing errors before they occur, which supported my argument that humans will still be needed for oversight and error correction.
  3. ConstructConnect’s blog post, “AI in Construction Has Landed” by Dan Dockery: This blog delves into the specific ways AI is already being used on construction sites, like detecting safety hazards and optimizing material use. Its real-world examples helped make my PSA more relatable and provided tangible proof of AI’s current impact on construction projects.

These sources collectively offer a balanced understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations, making them essential reading for anyone curious about how AI will continue to shape construction careers and industry standards.

#5 Aha Moment:

My aha moment occured when reading over Chat GPT’S summay of my whole PSA. I realized that all of sources I used were all related to eachother, but they all had different information that was extremely important to my PSA. If I happened to only use one or two of the sources I could’ve possibly missed out on a bunch of information that was crucial to my PSA.