Artificial but not superficial: How AI is (also) shaping the future of construction

Ask anyone about artificial intelligence and chances are they will tell you about sensational generative programs like #Midjourney or #ChatGPT. But the disruption brought by AI will extend far beyond tech, and the changes it will bring the industrial sector will be no less spectacular. In fact, we may well be on the verge of a new industrial revolution, as transformative as steam, electricity, or automation once were.

• With $15.7tn added to the economy by the end of the decade, i.e., more than China and India’s combined input, AI will leave no industry untouched. Among its capabilities? “Read[ing]  a customer’s mind, predict[ing] demand, and steer[ing] products along individual paths through the supply chain, while production units become self-healing and self-learning”, writes Bain & Company. What has been dubbed “Industry 4.0” will in fact bring smarter automation, making production cheaper and faster, says the World Economic Forum, while machine learning will boost predictability in operations, making delays and defects a thing of the past.

• In construction, AI may also well be our ticket to decarbonization, starting with more sustainable supply chains! AI-powered software can in fact help identify the most responsible partners, ensuring products have a lower carbon footprint or can be recycled more easily. Additionally, as stated by Accenture, putting data to use in interactions between a company, its suppliers, and its customers can significantly cut CO2 and energy consumption.

• In mobility, too, AI is a game-changer that can suggest optimized itineraries, resulting in lower emissions. That is what has led Saint-Gobain to launch Greennav, an experimental AI-powered GPS project which will ultimately be able to suggest the least fuel-intensive route in real time for logistics, depending on vehicles and maybe even on loads.

• But Greennav is only one of the many AI projects currently deployed at Saint-Gobain, where 75 data scientists are working on 100+ projects per year, helped by an internal AI Store that offers ready-to-use applications they can use to build new algorithms in just weeks. Saint-Gobain’s venture arm, NOVA by Saint-Gobain (which invests in start-ups aligned with construction innovation, sustainability, and energy), has already incorporated AI into its portfolio, from Inkbit, an AI-driven 3D printing specialist, to Foxy, a proptech company that uses AI to convert property photos into treasure troves of actionable data.

• In fact, AI is the kind of revolution that is going to upturn every area of our operations, far beyond just the plant, lab, or construction site. In accounting or HR, the applications are abundant. Among many examples, AI can “[empower] employees with little to no programming background to write programs that suit their employers’ needs,” writes WEF. It can also take on simple tasks so that employees can focus on higher value-added work: since late 2023, Saint-Gobain collaborators can create their personalized or team-oriented virtual assistants that can edit texts, craft or review code, or even help them brainstorm. For the millions of industry workers around the world, AI is not a threat: it’s the promise of a wide-scale industrial revival that can help bring on a more sustainable world.

Innovation station

The key to innovation is not deep pockets or flashy technology. It’s the human mind.

• Innovation requires original thinkers with different perspectives. By depriving itself of female perspectives and talents, historically male-dominated industries such as construction run the risk of struggling to innovate in the long term.

• That is why Saint-Gobain is committed to boosting the presence of women in our R&D and innovation teams all over the world. Today, over 1,000 women are working across our eight R&D centres as engineers, data scientists, technical experts, researchers, or apprentices, leading the charge in breaking new ground. See the change in action with our #WomeninSTEM campaign!

Window to the future

Could the next leap in professional training come from a pair of goggles?

• Imagine being able to learn how to operate complex machinery with zero risk and minimal downtime. That’s exactly what Saint-Gobain Isover achieved thanks to a ground-breaking virtual reality training program designed in partnership with SynergyXR.

• The program bridges the gap between classroom and factory floor. Trainees now navigate a digital twin of their workplace, gaining hands-on experience without stepping foot on the actual plant. Read on to catch a glimpse of the future of training!

Can you guess?

Coming back from a skiing trip? Chances are you crossed paths with Saint-Gobain!

• The snow under your skis just might have been thanks to Saint-Gobain PAM Canalisation’s cutting-edge ALPINAL® range of pipes for slow cannons, which ensures the slopes are always ready for action.

• The one thing that sets ALPINAL® apart? Its ductile iron pipes are made from a 100% recyclable material and require no maintenance or upkeep after installation, preserving the mountain’s fragile ecosystem. Find out more here.

Pioneers

For the teams at SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FACADE , making the world’s first low-carbon glass wasn’t enough.

• As a glass manufacturer, Saint-Gobain Glass is bent on doing its part to mitigate the construction industry’s environmental footprint. That is why Saint-Gobain Glass teams decided to pursue the Cradle to Cradle Certified® V4.0 certification, a sustainable product certification program. Its aim: to assess products based on their environmental and social impact throughout their lifecycle to guarantee that materials meet rigorous sustainability standards.

• "Obtaining the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze-level certification for our Float, Coated and laminated Glass products is a proof of Saint-Gobain commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility”, says Fabrice Desmons, International Marketing Director Building Glass et Saint-Gobain Glass.

• Saint-Gobain Glass are the first building glass products certified with the latest version 4.0 of the standard in all five C2C Certified categories. A great feat for the team, whose low-carbon glass ORAÉ® is among the ranges now certified, achieving Platinum in the product circularity criteria.

Fabrice Desmons with Amélie Briend, François Guillemot.

Building bridges

Decarbonizing construction cannot be done in isolation.

• That is why IMPULSE PARTNERS - A FAST LANE FOR INNOVATION has made it its mission to foster collaboration in the industry, thanks to its Observatory of innovation trends in the building sector, an overview of key industry innovations geared towards large construction groups and SMEs, contracting authorities, and training centres.

• In the Observatory’s latest edition, NOVA Saint-Gobain weighs in on construction’s main challenges in the coming years, from boosting circularity and offsite construction to integrating AI to its operations. Dive in!

Expanding our horizon

In many countries around the world, construction projects are lagging due to workforce shortages. Our solution? Training future talents ourselves!

• From South Africa to India, from Morocco to Ireland, come along for a world tour of our school networks and training centres, where we are supporting the bright minds (and hands) that will build the future of construction!