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AI Unleashed in Project Management: Navigating the Future with Teams CoPilot and More

This Week in Tech: Embracing Generative AI in Construction, Microsoft Teams CoPilot for Enhanced Collaboration, and the Latest Adobe AI Document Tool

Author

James Garner
April 02, 2024

This Week’s Wisdom: Tip of the Week

Tip of the Week

This week's tip explores Adobe AI's latest feature for Acrobat and Reader, designed to simplify analysing and summarising lengthy documents. Ideal for anyone dealing with extensive PDFs, this beta feature requires a paid subscription but offers a free trial for newcomers. It emphasises efficiency and accuracy, though with a note of caution on its reliance for critical tasks. To try it out and enhance your PDF handling, visit Adobe's official website for more details.

The humanoid robot market is forecast to hit $38 billion by 2035, led by advanced high-spec robots. Goldman Sachs reports a sixfold increase over previous projections, driven by AI advancements. This boom could see robots transforming project delivery – from AI project managers to robotic aides in construction, enhancing precision, efficiency, and safety. The integration of robotics in project management is not just inevitable, but also imminent, signalling a shift towards a more technologically synergised workforce in the near future.

Quote of the Week

“Generative AI tools... will empower [architects and civil engineers] to streamline workflows and automate repetitive elements of their work... leaving them free to focus their limited human attention on tasks that require real ingenuity and creativity." (Bernard Marr)​

This Week's Big Thing in the Industry

Generative AI is poised to transform the fields of architecture and civil engineering by automating routine tasks and streamlining workflows. AI tools can rapidly generate design ideas, create digital twins of buildings, and improve project management and sustainability.

Professionals in these fields will need to understand and leverage AI technology to enhance their productivity and creativity. However, human oversight and ethical considerations will still be crucial in ensuring safety and accountability.

What You Need to Know This Week

Microsoft Teams' latest innovation: the introduction of CoPilot, has an AI-driven feature set to revolutionise workplace collaboration. This cutting-edge tool integrates AI functionalities to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and foster more efficient communication among team members. From automating mundane tasks to providing insightful data analysis, CoPilot aims to redefine how professionals interact within Teams. This update reflects Microsoft's commitment to leveraging AI for creating more intuitive, user-friendly work environments. For a deeper dive into these exciting developments, check out the full article on The Verge.

Flux Feed: Curating the Latest Industry News

AI in Construction and Project Delivery

Researchers at the University of Missouri are working on a two-year project to develop AI-powered algorithms that will enable drones to navigate autonomously using visual landmarks. The project aims to address the challenge of drone navigation when GPS signal is lost, such as in natural disasters or military situations.

The algorithms will allow drones to perceive and interact with their environment and achieve specific goals or objectives. The team is also investigating the use of cloud and high-performance computing methods to enhance the processing capabilities of the drones.

The 2024 Preconstruction Top 50 list features a combination of legacy and emerging pre-construction solutions being used by some of the largest contractors, engineers, and specialty contractors worldwide. The list was derived from a pre-construction survey and includes categories such as bid management, pre-qualification, estimating, scheduling, contracting, and procurement.

The construction industry is buzzing about the transformative power of AI, which is changing project management, optimising workflow and efficiency, enhancing safety protocols, and revolutionising design and collaboration. AI is reshaping the construction industry by improving productivity, reducing costs, and promoting sustainability.

Generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry by enabling remote construction work managed by robotics. This technology could help improve risk assessment, safety regulations, and financial forecasting, as well as address the industry's skills and productivity issues.

However, there are still barriers to adoption, such as concerns about cyber security, and collaboration with education providers is needed to train the future workforce.

Emerging technologies and sustainable building methods are becoming increasingly popular in the construction industry. Contractors and construction professionals are incorporating visual intelligence, sensors, IoT devices, robotics, immersive collaboration, and 3D printing.

Staying up-to-date with the latest trends is important for staying competitive and increasing efficiency, savings, and safety.

AI impact on work

Around 8 million jobs in the UK could be lost to artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research. The study warned that women, younger workers, and those on lower wages were most at risk from automation.

The report stated that entry-level, part-time, and administrative roles were most at risk, followed by higher-earning jobs involving non-routine cognitive tasks. The IPPR called on the government to take action to prevent a "jobs apocalypse".

The article discusses the potential impact of AI on jobs and wages. The author argues that the principle of comparative advantage suggests that humans will continue to have high-paying jobs, even in a world where AI is better than humans at everything.

However, the author acknowledges other concerns, such as inequality and adjustment challenges.

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting various industries, including energy, education, finance, healthcare, and media. While AI is expected to generate new jobs, it may also replace certain roles, leading workers to seek alternative employment opportunities.

However, AI is not expected to completely replace jobs requiring nuance and human interaction.

Tech News

Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding customers and investors of his now-bankrupt firm. Bankman-Fried's legal team plans to appeal the conviction.

The former billionaire apologised for his actions but did not express remorse for his crimes.

OpenAI has revealed the initial feedback from the creative community on its Sora model, which is designed to assist artists and filmmakers with generating new and surreal ideas. Visual artists and directors have shared their thoughts on how Sora can enhance their creative workflows and bring previously impossible concepts to life.

Zoom has announced the launch of Zoom Workplace, an AI-based collaborative platform that will house all of its AI tools. The platform will offer 40+ features including Zoom AI Companion and an updated version of Zoom Events, Contact Centre, Team Chat, and Phone.

The new features will start rolling out between April and May.

Amazon is investing an additional $2.75 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic, boosting its total investment to $4 billion.

Anthropic is known for its generative AI models and competes with companies like OpenAI. The move is part of an ongoing spending blitz by cloud providers to stay ahead in the AI race.

Microsoft has unveiled its first Surface PCs with a dedicated Copilot AI button on the keyboard. The new PCs, the Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business, feature the button for quick access to the chatbot.

The addition of the button represents a significant change to the computer keyboard and showcases Microsoft's focus on AI technology.

Meta will introduce artificial intelligence (AI) to its Ray-Ban smart glasses next month, allowing users to perform tasks such as object identification, translation, and monument identification. The AI features are currently available through an early access waitlist in the US.

Someone has managed to recreate the GPT2 language model in an Excel spreadsheet, providing a practical way to learn how large language models work. The spreadsheet allows users to input a prompt and generates the next word in the sentence, while also providing insights into the math behind the model.

Hume, an AI voice startup, has developed a new empathic AI chatbot called EVI. The voicebot uses large language models to monitor, predict, and respond to the emotional tone of the user's voice.

While the technology is impressive, the author found the experience creepy.

Chipmaker Nvidia has released a new super chip called Blackwell, which it claims will turbocharge artificial intelligence (AI). With 208 billion transistors, the Blackwell chip is 30 times faster than its predecessor and aims to support the evolving demands of AI systems.

Nvidia currently holds around 80% of the global market for AI chips. The company hopes that the new chip will increase its hold on the market, as AI technology becomes increasingly important in various industries.

However, competition is growing, with rivals like Intel, AMD, Cerebras, and Groq also working on their own AI chips.

AI Regulation and Security

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to benefit democracy by enhancing election campaigning and improving decision-making, according to campaigners and experts. While concerns have been raised over the threat posed to democracy by AI-generated disinformation, some argue that the technology could also support the political process.

Campaign Lab, a UK-based left-wing network of tech volunteers, trains campaigners from left-leaning parties in the use of technologies such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT). The group is also experimenting with the use of chatbots to assist canvassers.

OpenAI's chatbot marketplace, the GPT Store, is becoming inundated with spam and potentially infringing content. The platform has seen rapid growth, with approximately 3 million chatbots available, leading to a fall in moderation standards and issues surrounding copyright, trademark infringement, academic dishonesty, and impersonation.

Here is the latest Linked In Newsletter

GPT of the Week

This week's spotlight is on the Creative Thinker GPT, your go-to for reshaping traditional thought processes to unveil transformative innovations. It's designed to trigger lateral thinking, challenge the usual perspectives, and refine ideas, opening doors to solutions that stand out. Whether it's crafting new products, revamping existing ones, identifying risks, or carving out new market opportunities, Creative Thinker GPT is your ally. It simplifies problem-solving, fosters competitive differentiation, and integrates AI seamlessly into your strategies, ensuring you stay ahead in a fast-evolving market. Engage it with your scenarios and let the creative problem-solving begin!https://chat.openai.com/g/g-jCvi9f0Gg-creative-thinker

New Tools in Tech

Recast transforms lengthy articles into concise audio summaries, ideal for on-the-go consumption, allowing users to efficiently "read" without actually reading. This app makes staying informed convenient by converting content into digestible audio conversations​ (This is recast)​​ (thenewtutorials.com)​. Explore Recast at their website.

DataMotto simplifies data cleaning and quality enhancement with AI, significantly reducing the time spent preparing data for analysis. It empowers users with AI agents for tasks like validation, enrichment, and de-duplication, ensuring high-quality, analysis-ready datasets​ (DataMotto)​. Discover more about DataMotto at their website.

Riskcast Solutions is a platform designed for self-perform contractors to easily track labor, equipment, and production on construction sites. The platform eliminates the need for multiple systems and complex spreadsheets, allowing users to capture data in one place and integrate it with other tools.

Podcasts: Must-Subscribe List

"AI Escape Velocity: A Conversation with Ray Kurzweil" features legendary futurist Dr. Ray Kurzweil discussing exponential growth in AI, the impact of these advancements across various sectors, and the future relationship between humans and AI. Kurzweil shares insights on the law of accelerating returns, AI breakthroughs, and the concept of humans merging with AI, offering a thought-provoking outlook on the next 10 years. For a deeper dive into Kurzweil's vision of the future, visit Bessemer Venture Partners.

The podcast featuring Andrew Knight focuses on how generative AI is changing real estate workflows. Knight, an expert in the field, discusses the transformative effects of AI on real estate, from improving project management and design processes to enhancing customer service. The conversation sheds light on the potential of AI to streamline operations and drive innovation within the industry, making it a must-listen for professionals looking to understand the impact of AI in real estate. For an insightful exploration of generative AI's role in real estate, listen to the podcast at RICS.

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Meet Project Flux: About Us

At Project Flux, we're committed to pioneering the future of construction and project delivery through the lens of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence insights. Our vision is to be at the forefront of integrating AI into the fabric of project delivery, transforming how projects are conceptualised, planned, and executed.

About James Garner James Garner, the Senior Director at Gleeds and Global Head of Data, Insights & Analytics, is the driving force behind Project Flux. With his extensive experience in the field and a track record recognised by Data IQ 100 in 2023, James combines his expertise in data and project delivery with a passion for AI in project delivery.

Our Mission Project Flux aims to not only inform and educate but also to inspire professionals in the construction industry to embrace the transformative potential of AI. We believe in the power of AI to revolutionise project delivery, making it more efficient, predictive, and adaptable to the dynamic demands of the modern world.

What We Offer Through our insightful newsletters, curated content on LinkedIn, and engaging discussions, Project Flux serves as a resource for professionals seeking to stay ahead in their field. We offer a blend of practical advice, thought leadership, and the latest developments in AI and construction technology.

Connect with us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates. Together, let's shape the future of construction and project delivery!