Several construction industry technologists met in a virtual panel discussion to discuss the potential of ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) for the construction industry. LLMs are algorithms that can generate text, summarize articles, and predict content by extracting knowledge from massive datasets. The panelists were  Jeff Sample, the technology evangelist for content platform Join, Kris Lengieza, the vice president of global partnerships and alliances for Procore technologies and Trent Kelly, the chief operating officer at Document Crunch. All three experts expressed cautious optimism about the future of the technology in construction. LLMs can be trained with construction data or used to break down complicated contracts.
The Chief Operating Officer at Document Crunch, Trent Miskelly, described ChatGPT as the latest and greatest AI for answering questions. He added that for valuable information and ideas, it is essential to ask specific questions and give context to the program. He emphasized that users need to have trust in vendors and platforms. Contractors should decide if they are comfortable with others knowing the questions they are asking or information that is entered. However, some companies use their in-house LLMs to keep their information safe.
The entire panel agreed that it is crucial to have an expert on hand to pick the valuable information from the garbage, given the technology is still in its early stages. Experts cautioned that it is prudent to be wary of misinformation or inaccurate information generated by AI. It is essential to understand how large language models get trained, given that a lot of misinformation on the Internet is based on it. As the models are trained using human feedback, the reasoning processes kick out garbage, and the valuable information is refined.
Construction planners can use LLMs to change the work they do by asking follow-up questions, tweaking the queries, and refining their output. LLMs allow for a more conversational approach to data or a contract’s information and can be used for brainstorming. The experts agreed that LLMs were useful for learning to think outside the box. However, companies still need a human element. As the technology becomes more prevalent, contractors cannot sacrifice project executives and foremen to use AI.
Although businesses like ChatGPT are catching the attention of the general public and many American industries, experts have cautioned that it is important to use it with responsibility. The current LLM is only in its early stages and is two or three iterations from being a valuable model for all products in construction, added Kris Lengieza.
