Risks and Challenges of AI-Driven Construction Industry

Dear Colleagues,

The construction industry is rapidly embracing the Big9 emerging technologies, which include artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, drones, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS), big data, 3D scanning, wearable technologies, as well as virtual, augmented, and mixed realities (V/A/MR) [1,2]. These technologies have been espoused to enhance efficiency, improve decision making, and save costs. However, their adoption comes with several risks and challenges at the technological, organizational, and external (TOE) levels [3,4].  Technological risks encompass concerns related to the safety of networks, public internet management, and user safety. Organizational risks involve issues such as  data security and cloud infrastructure management. Meanwhile, external risks include governance complexities, system integration challenges, and cybersecurity threats, among others.

This Special Issue focuses on the risks and challenges associated with AI-driven technology adoption in construction projects and the built environment. It seeks to attract original high-quality contributions researchers and practitioners in the broad areas of construction and the built environment in relation to engineering, information systems, management, law, security studies and all relevant areas of transdisciplinary research. Potential sub-themes include, but are not limited to:

• The additionality of AI adoption in construction;
• Risks and challenges of AI-driven construction projects;
• Risks and challenges of technology integration in construction projects;
• Cybersecurity and data protection risks in AI-driven construction;
• Reliability and accuracy of AI models in construction projects;
• Applications of AI in disaster management;
• Workforce transformation and skill gaps in AI-driven construction;
• Legal and regulatory challenges in AI-driven construction;
• Ethical and social implications of AI adoption in construction;
• Financial risks associated with AI-driven construction projects;
• Safety risks in AI-driven construction.

We invite contributions that explore innovative solutions that enhance readers’ understandings of AI integration and its associated challenges in the construction sector.

Cited works

1. Deliu, D. and A. Olariu, The role of artificial intelligence and Big Data analytics in shaping the future of professions in Industry 6.0: Perspectives from an emerging market. Electronics, 2024. 13 (24): p. 4983.
2. Ullah, F., P.S. Sepasgozar, and T.H. Ali. Real estate stakeholders technology acceptance model (RESTAM): User-focused big9 disruptive technologies for smart real estate management. in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Development in Civil Engineering (ICSDC 2019), Jamshoro, Pakistan. 2019.
3. Na, S., et al., Artificial intelligence (AI)-Based technology adoption in the construction industry: a cross national perspective using the technology acceptance model. Buildings, 2023. 13 (10): p. 2518.
4. Re Cecconi, F., A. Khodabakhshian, and L. Rampini, Is the Construction Industry Ready for AI?, in Building Tomorrow: Unleashing the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Construction. 2025, Springer. p. 7-23.

Prof. Dr. Oluwole Olatunji
Dr. Don Chamila Subasinghe
Dr. Emil Jonescu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• artificial intelligence
• construction projects
• digital technologies
• performance-driven design
• psychology of space
• risk management
• secure environments
• surveillance
• technology adoption
• UAV (drone) and AI integration