According to a January 2016 report by World Economic Forum quoted in Equipment World, advances in artificial intelligence could cost over five million people their jobs by 2020. Nearly 10 percent of the lost jobs are predicted to be in the construction industry. Understandably, this has everyone from crew members to project managers feeling anxious about the future. Construction jobs are third only to office and administrative positions and production and manufacturing for anticipated cuts.
It would not surprise many if a certain orange-faced Twitter-addict soon proposes the construction of a wall to “keep the evil robots out.”
The News Isn’t Necessarily Bad
While the hype around automation instills fear, that doesn’t have to be the case. When a construction company cuts a job because of automation, workers also have an opportunity to upgrade their skills and move into more challenging positions. The same report that stated 500,000 workers in construction would lose their jobs also indicates the need for 339,000 new jobs in architecture and engineering. Workers with highly transferable skills may just end up doing better thanks to the advent of robotics.
Expanding the Possibilities of Architecture
In terms of automation, the architectural and construction industries are years behind other industries that have been less hesitant to embrace new technology. Automation, as well as collaborative efforts between architects and construction workers, can improve productivity and customer deliverables. It’s a winning combination for all involved.
Wolf D. Prix, a push-the-envelope kind of architect based in Australia, is a leading proponent of robotic construction. This concept utilizes a system of robotic arms that fasten and place panels in the construction of a new home or building. The project uses off-the-shelf technology to control costs.
Some architects have criticized Prix’s fabrication method as an overly simplified solution to complex building problems. However, others feel his method is faster and more cost-effective than current methods of design and construction. Prix is currently working with MSC, a Chinese company that creates curtain-wall technology, to develop and release the robotic fabricators.
Robots Already Play an Essential Role in Architecture
While declines in number of available construction workers has forced the issue of robotic architecture, some companies are ahead of their time in this area. ETH Zurich, for example, used robotics to create a programmed wall way back in 2006. Their robot had the advantage of being able to place every brick in a unique way without having to rely on outside references as human builders do. This required programmers to design an algorithm that told the bricks their exact placement on the wall. The robot placed over 400 bricks in a fraction of the time it would take humans to do the same thing.
Artificial intelligence has come a long way in the 11 years since a robotic arm created a wall by following a pre-determined algorithm. Robots can now snap together an entire house or a building. Far from replacing humans, this technology enables construction teams to dramatically cut production time and increase customer satisfaction. For those who can get past their fear and mistrust of robots, the future of construction and architecture look bright indeed.