Answer extracted from the Building PA Podcast podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What AI tools are contractors actually using right now in construction?
The gap between AI's potential and its current reality in construction is substantial. GBCA members are actively deploying AI-assisted estimating tools, autonomous laser scanning, drone operations, and safety applications, yet adoption remains selective and far behind the hype.
Today's construction firms are experimenting with AI across multiple workflows, but implementation is pragmatic rather than transformative. Estimating tools powered by AI—both proprietary systems developed in-house and commercial off-the-shelf solutions—are the most widespread adoption point among GBCA contractors in the Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania markets.
Beyond estimating, larger contractors have begun integrating autonomous technologies into site operations. Laser scanning and drone activity are now routine on major projects, delivering real-time data collection and progress monitoring. These tools reduce manual surveying labor and accelerate documentation cycles, making them attractive to firms managing complex, multi-phase work.
AI-assisted design tools represent another adoption frontier, though these remain concentrated among larger contractors with the capital and technical capacity to implement them. Smaller firms often lack the integration infrastructure or training bandwidth to adopt design AI effectively, creating a widening gap in adoption across company sizes.
Safety applications demonstrate AI's practical value in risk reduction. Turner Construction's AI chatbot, for example, helps manage safety protocols and incident reporting by centralizing compliance data and making it accessible in real time. This type of application has clear ROI and addresses regulatory accountability directly.
"The promise of it feels undeniable. And two, the current utilization of it is still somewhat elusive."
Ben Connors — President of the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA). Connors oversees the association's representation of signatory contractors and advocacy for union construction labor standards across the Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania region. He brings direct insight into adoption patterns across member firms ranging from estimators to safety managers.
Even GBCA itself uses AI operationally: the organization leverages AI analytics to track member engagement, identify emerging industry trends, and forecast market shifts. Yet despite this internal use, Connors and the association acknowledge that the future potential of AI in construction far exceeds present deployment.
This mismatch signals neither failure nor lack of interest. Rather, it reflects the construction industry's structural reality: high upfront costs, lengthy ROI timelines, risk-averse owner bases, and a workforce still learning to operate alongside automation. The contractors who are adopting AI today are solving immediate, measurable problems—faster estimates, safer sites, better documentation—rather than chasing transformative revolution.
For contractors evaluating AI investment, the message is clear: focus on tools that reduce direct labor costs or improve safety compliance. Experimental deployments without immediate operational benefit remain rare in a market where margins are thin and project cycles are tight. The full episode explores how GBCA members are navigating this transition and the barriers slowing broader adoption across the region.
See also
What does the GBCA safety data reveal about union versus non-union construction performance?
An OSHA 300 study analyzing 2 million instances reported over five years showed that GBCA member contractors demonstrated considerable safety performance advantages, offering data-driven insight into union versus non-union contractor outcomes.
What power infrastructure challenge is created by data center expansion in southeastern Pennsylvania?
Applications for power from data center projects doubled the current entire capacity for power in the region. During a decade-long period before this surge, power demands remained stable, making the sudden spike unprecedented.
How has the commercial office market shifted in Philadelphia, and what are contractors adapting to?
Philadelphia went from having the square footage it needed to having approximately 2 million square feet of excess commercial office space due to the work-from-home movement, forcing contractors to rethink adaptive reuse and portfolio strategy.