Moral responsibility and action in the use of artificial intelligence in construction

Rapid increases in processing power and speed of computing coupled with development of self-learning algorithms capable of autonomous decision making are central to current technological developments. This has fed dystopian visions of either out-of-control robots malevolently destroying humanity or benevolent robots enslaving humanity as a result of acting for its own good. A more nuanced assessment demonstrates that inherent in any benevolent intent is the unintended potential for harm, which must be addressed in parallel with if not in advance of developments in the field. This paper examines the hazards and challenges presented by artificial intelligence in respect of construction. In conjunction with developments and guidelines on machine ethics, it outlines the issues and posits how they may be addressed by governments, designers, contractors and worker organisations to access the growth potential of the sector as a socially responsible industry.