This month, Monday Live! is delving deep into the question, “Are we AI-ready?” The discussions focus on the readiness of the smarter buildings industry to embrace and effectively utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI). The initial session sparked a lively debate, highlighting the complexities of AI adoption and the varying levels of preparedness across the sector.
Key Discussion Points:
- AI Readiness Definition: The group debated what it means to be AI-ready, emphasizing the importance of structured, normalized, and accessible data. Without a common data ontology, AI applications face significant challenges.
- Industry Challenges: Many buildings still lack connectivity, with only 5% of commercial buildings having internet-connected systems. This limits the ability to collect and utilize data for AI-driven optimization.
- Generational Shift: The next generation of building managers, accustomed to digital tools, will likely demand more accessible and data-driven building systems, pushing the industry toward modernization.
- AI as a Solution: AI can help solve its own challenges by organizing unstructured data and creating models for better decision-making. However, human oversight remains crucial to ensure accuracy.
- Business Opportunities: Systems integrators and vendors have an opportunity to provide solutions for making buildings AI-ready, especially as building owners begin to recognize the value of data-driven management.
- Cost and Value: The conversation highlighted the need to articulate the value of AI beyond energy savings, such as reducing operational costs and improving tenant experiences, to convince building owners to invest.
- A central theme was defining what it truly means to be “AI ready.” This involves more than just having access to AI tools; it requires a foundation of structured data, standard data ontologies, and a clear understanding of how AI can be leveraged to create value.
- Data is Paramount: The importance of data was a recurring point. Emphasized the need for:
- Breaking down data silos
- Structuring and normalizing data
- Establishing common data ontologies
- Ensuring data accessibility
- Industry-Wide Readiness: The discussion acknowledged that different industry segments have varying levels of AI readiness. Some, like technology providers, are more advanced, while others, like building owners, may lag.
- AI’s Role in Solving Problems: There was an intriguing perspective that AI itself could play a significant role in overcoming the challenges of data structuring and accessibility. This suggests that AI can be used to “solve the AI problem.”
- Driving Adoption: Clearly articulating its value proposition is crucial to encourage wider adoption of AI. This includes demonstrating how AI can:
- Reduce operational costs
- Improve tenant experience
- Optimize building performance
- Lower staffing headcount
“The smarter buildings industry is at a crossroads. While some are racing ahead with AI integration, others are still grappling with the basics. Bridging this gap is critical to ensuring equitable progress.”
Key Quotes from the Discussion
- Keith: “AI isn’t scary as it was two years ago… it’s really catching on.”
- Jim Lee: “We’ve been preparing for AI for the last 20 to 30 years.”
- David: “AI can lower headcount, improve tenant experiences, and reduce operational costs.”
- Rick: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
- Tracy: “We’re worrying about something we don’t need to worry about—AI will solve its own problems.”
Conclusion
The Monday Live! Session provided a valuable starting point for the month-long exploration of AI readiness. The industry is clearly at a critical juncture, with challenges and opportunities ahead. The ongoing discussions promise to shed further light on how the smarter buildings industry can effectively harness the power of AI to create a more efficient, sustainable, and intelligent future.
This post was written with the assistance of Gemini AI and Deepseek.
