Our AHR session on AI was full of tips for everyone in the industry on how to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in building automation and business operations. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just beginning to explore AI, this session is designed to provide practical insights and actionable strategies for integrating AI into your workflows.
Setting the Stage: AI in Building Automation
The session kicked off with a focus on DIY AI—how businesses and individuals can start leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance productivity, streamline operations, and solve complex problems. Unlike yesterday’s discussion on autonomous buildings, today’s conversation centered on practical, hands-on applications of AI that you can implement today.
Key Takeaways from Jacob Finley: AI in Business and Life
Jacob Finley, Director of Tech Services at Cochran Supply, shared his experiences using AI to revolutionize workflows, team management, and even personal tasks.
“Let AI challenge your model. Your team has probably been complaining about the same issues for years—AI can help you see them clearly.”
- Workflow Mapping and Optimization
Jacob emphasized the importance of mapping out team workflows and using AI to identify inefficiencies. For example, he shared how ChatGPT helped refine a contracting company’s project management process by suggesting earlier project manager involvement and better stakeholder engagement during kickoff meetings. - Team and Relationship Management
AI can act as a virtual assistant for managing teams. Jacob demonstrated how he created a custom GPT model to store information about his team members, including their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. This allowed him to quickly identify the best person for specific tasks and even plan team rewards, like concert tickets, based on individual interests.
“AI can finally automate emotion. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows your team inside and out.
- Beyond Work: AI in Everyday Life
Jacob also showcased how AI can enhance personal life, from decorating a living room to planning road trips. Feeding AI information about personal preferences can provide tailored recommendations, making everyday decisions easier and more enjoyable.
“AI isn’t just for work—it’s a great partner for life’s little challenges, like picking the perfect gift or planning a surprise.”
AI in Engineering and Recommissioning
Brad White, Principal Engineer at SCS Consulting, shared how his firm is using AI to enhance engineering processes, particularly in recommissioning buildings. Here’s what stood out:
- AI for Recommissioning Buildings
Brad’s team trained ChatGPT to analyze building data, including control system screenshots, trend logs, and equipment descriptions. In a blind test, the AI identified 80% of the energy-saving opportunities that human engineers had found, demonstrating its potential as a powerful tool for building audits.
“AI isn’t replacing our engineers—it’s making them more productive by handling the routine tasks.”
- The Future of AI in Engineering
While AI is already capable of generating detailed sequences of operations and identifying energy-saving measures, Brad emphasized the importance of human oversight. AI can make mistakes, and it’s crucial to verify its outputs, especially in technical fields like engineering.
Key Quote: “AI is like a junior engineer—it’s smart, but it still needs a senior engineer to check its work.” - Interactive Content with AI
Brad introduced Google’s Language Model (LM) tool, which allows users to interact with large documents in new ways. For example, his team uploaded a 200-page electrification guide and used AI to generate summaries, answer specific questions, and even create a podcast summarizing the content.
“AI is changing how we interact with content. Why read a 300-page document when you can ask AI to summarize it for you?”
Practical Applications and Challenges
Throughout the session, several practical applications of AI were highlighted, along with challenges and considerations:
- Prompt Engineering: Crafting effective prompts is key to getting the most out of AI tools. Both Jacob and Brad emphasized the importance of refining prompts to achieve accurate and useful results.
- Privacy and Data Security: Uploading sensitive data to AI tools requires caution. Brad shared how his firm scrubs identifying information from building data before using AI, and Jacob noted the importance of adhering to company policies on data usage.
- AI as a Productivity Tool: AI is not about replacing jobs but enhancing productivity. It excels at handling repetitive tasks, allowing professionals to focus on higher-value work.
Audience Engagement: Questions and Insights
The session was highly interactive, with audience members sharing their experiences and asking thought-provoking questions:
- Energy Modeling: While AI isn’t yet capable of fully automating energy modeling, it can assist in formatting data and preparing inputs for modeling software.
- Fault Detection: AI shows promise in identifying operational issues, such as leaking valves or sensor calibration errors, especially when provided with trend logs and system data.
- Preventative Maintenance: AI can generate comprehensive maintenance plans based on equipment data, though it currently lacks the ability to schedule tasks over time.
Final Thoughts: Embracing AI Responsibly
As AI continues to evolve, its potential to transform industries like building automation is undeniable. However, it’s essential to approach AI with a critical eye, ensuring that its outputs are verified and that sensitive data is handled responsibly. By integrating AI into workflows, businesses can unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation while empowering their teams to focus on what they do best.
“AI is a productivity enhancer, not a job replacer. It’s about doing more with the resources we have.”
Thank you to Jacob, Brad, and everyone who participated in this engaging discussion. If you’re inspired to start using AI in your business or personal life, remember that the tools are already here—it’s up to you to put them to work.
Visit AutomatedBuildings.com. Let’s continue the conversation and explore how AI can shape the future of building automation and beyond!
