COMMENT 15
COMMENT The real value of AI for architects
Karl Smith at Creative ITC explains how architectural practices can move from experimenting with AI to strategic integration, by leveraging structured data for measurable outcomes – thereby building their capability to serve future needs.
M
ore than half of architecture professionals are already using AI in their operations, with many more planning adoption in the coming years. Practices are seizing the powerful opportunity to accelerate creativity, support faster design exploration and improve project outcomes. These benefi ts are increasingly critical as the industry faces mounting pressure to design and build smarter to meet the rising demands of a growing global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2060. However, artifi cial intelligence is moving faster than the architecture industry’s ability to restructure itself around it. Many practices are struggling to realise their full potential. Legacy IT systems, siloed data and AI capabilities make it diffi cult to deploy AI effectively, exposing fi rms to unreliable outputs, delayed adoption and higher operational risk. To move beyond experimentation, fi rms need a clear understanding of AI’s real world value and the barriers that limit its impact.
From curiosity to commercial execution AI is already reshaping architectural workfl ows. According to the NBS 2025 Digital Construction Report, adoption continues to accelerate across design and delivery teams. 42% of architecture professionals are using AI tools today, with a further 37% planning adoption within fi ve years. Initial fears that AI would replace creativity have largely subsided. Instead, AI is increasingly augmenting it by expanding design exploration, accelerating feasibility studies and supporting faster decision making. However, the real transformation has now moved beyond visualisation into operational intelligence. Across the asset lifecycle, AI is being integrated with IoT and digital twins to create closed- loop decision systems. IoT gathers real time telemetry. AI translates that data into predictions and risk signals. The digital twin provides contextual simulation to test outcomes before action is taken. Insights generated during delivery and operation then cycle back to inform future design decisions.
ADF MARCH 2026
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
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