Top five digital trends shaping the AEC industry in 2025

After AI’s meteoric rise within two years, there’s a lot of speculation that it’s a bubble near bursting. Media giants have drawn comparisons to the ‘90’s dot-com boom as inflated expectations and valuations are being met by subpar outcomes. The enthusiasm may deflate, but this does not mean the technology won’t turn a profit. With the right strategy, AI can deliver significant benefits and drive value creation in the long run — but it will need time. 

In enterprise settings, “traditional” AI technologies that have been around for some time — such as machine learning, deep learning and predictive analysis — show continued value. Meanwhile, generative AI is still in its nascent stage and is here to stay. As it matures, organisations must think beyond the novelty, recalibrate strategies and identify areas where this technology can add genuine value. For instance, the unglamorous but practical applications, such as managing regulatory documents, may yield the immediate outcomes that companies seek. Data foundations can make or break your AI adoption, highlighting the importance of robust data governance and risk management practices. Solid business models and context-specific applications will set innovators apart from their peers. 

The increasing digitalisation of critical infrastructure — such as transportation networks, dams, power stations, utilities and water plants — makes them more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Our research shows that more than half of global critical infrastructure suppliers have faced attempts to control and shut down their systems, and the average annual rate of cyberattacks on infrastructure is rising at 125 percent.

Malicious actors are becoming savvier and exploiting emerging technologies, creating a digital battlefield where cybersecurity is fundamental to an organisation’s arsenal. For instance, IT (information technology) applications are data-hungry, requiring rich datasets from the OT (operational technology) environment. This data exchange allows traffic between the two environments, exposing OT systems to cyber threats from the IT side.

The wait-and-see reactive approach will no longer suffice. To protect these lifelines, asset owners and operators must embrace a defence-in-depth cybersecurity strategy as part of their enterprise strategy. A proactive stance ensures that safeguards can fend off threats, enabling the critical infrastructure sector to deliver reliable services and mitigate risks to safety, financials and reputation. Just as adversaries are leveraging advanced technologies to infiltrate systems, so can you in order to raise optimal defence and ensure business continuity. 

Looking outside for shiny new tools, it is often easy for organisations to miss the valuable resource that they already have: data. AEC companies possess a gold mine of data accumulated from design through construction and operations. Knowing how to optimise it, though, is the true differentiator. This crucial data can help reimagine and elevate our built environment — the network of infrastructure that defines our daily lives, including shelter, roads, bridges, railways, buildings, schools and power plants, among others.  

The AEC industry is following the example of the healthcare and banking sectors in harnessing data and AI for decision-making. AEC companies’ extensive datasets range from technical specifications and geometric data from CAD (computer-aided design), BIM (building information modelling) to full-scale 3D models and spatial analysis in their GIS (geographical information systems). Precise and quality data feed into the processes of developing architectural designs and structural plans. These become the design foundations for schools, parks or skyscrapers — bringing to life the vision of sustainable infrastructure and smart spaces of the future.

The wave of urban growth and increasing pressure on finite resources emphasise the need for companies to leverage advanced digital solutions to manage and improve assets. AEC professionals must use data-driven insights to better respond to society’s call for new ways of designing, making and operating. 

The dawn of smarter machines may be right around the corner. Imagine, for a moment, AI being as powerful as the human mind, or machines becoming so advanced that their abilities exceed our current comprehension. These sound like the plot of a sci-fi film, right? But these scenarios might not be too far-fetched; after all, ChatGPT can perform feats once thought impossible. Sparks of deeper intelligence have been observed in AI systems, where they complete tasks or solve problems that they were not programmed to do, surprising even the developers. 

This emergent intelligence refers to the phenomenon where interactions of a system’s simpler components lead to new, unexpected behaviours or properties. But this is not due to magical ability — it’s because of the increase in training data and computational power. 

Many enterprise software providers have indicated that they will be integrating software agents into their platforms to automate business processes and augment staff with routine operations. These so-called agentic systems will likely be packaged as virtual employees, appearing in chats, providing real-time assistance, answering questions and even participating in meetings. These agents will be able to analyse data and provide insights to users, helping them make informed decisions. We expect that specialised agents will be developed within the AEC market to perform specific tasks, such as design optimisation and project management. 

With high-speed processing and advanced algorithms, the leap in AI cognition may signal a new era where AI solutions are more efficient and creative. For the AEC industry, it has the potential to enhance innovation, collaboration, efficiency and safety. This is still a new field that holds both promise and risk; organisations must build strong data foundations and robust governance models to stay prepared for what this technology may bring. The bigger question lies in what this development means for people. In this case, the limit really may be our imagination.

There’s mounting pressure for asset owners to adopt more efficient and sustainable practices in the built environment — to contribute to the vision of smarter resilient cities and a net-zero future. We’re seeing an uptake of digital twins, virtual replicas of physical structures such as buildings, facilities, precincts, transport infrastructure and more complex ecosystems for entire cities or asset networks. Far from being a newcomer, digital twins continue to be a game-changer across the asset lifecycle as they overcome the project focused aspects of BIM or a static 3D model. These virtual models are enriched with real-time, precise data from their physical counterparts to enable scenario simulation, prediction and decision-making throughout the lifecycle of assets. 

From structural marvels to complex urban planning projects, digital twin applications can range from pragmatic to visionary. For example, asset managers and construction workers can use data from live sensors, scheduled drone captures of sites and remote assets, to provide current and accurate information and virtual views of infrastructure, from design to demolition or transition. This technology is poised to be an even more significant force combined with AI’s evolution. Their synergy empowers AEC companies to harness data for advanced visualisation to dynamically present scenarios to operators and other stakeholders.

Urban planners can leverage this technology to help build an entirely smart and sustainable city. They can simulate different scenarios accounting for population density, built from controls, yield analysis, energy consumption, heat management, waste management, air quality, environmental impacts and response plans in the event of natural disasters. Having a true virtual replica allows for testing of scenarios, understanding different operating conditions in a calibrated virtual world, and optimising before applying changes to the actual asset.

Ultimately, digital twins are potent tools empowering AEC companies to gain complete asset visibility, reduce risks, predict maintenance needs, enhance safety performance, monitor energy consumption and implement targeted interventions to reduce carbon footprint. 

These are the trends reshaping the industry. Stay ahead of these developments, or risk watching your organisation crumble. 

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