Suffolk Construction, a general contractor based out of Boston, Massachusetts, is currently developing two artificial intelligence tools that can predict and prevent accidents and delays in construction projects. The first tool looks at 700,000 images of job sites from Suffolk’s projects over the past 10 years, runs them through an image recognition software to identify workers using hard hats, gloves, vests, and safety goggles, and then compares them to footage of current construction sites to identify potential safety hazards and prevent worker injuries.
The second tool is a computer script that analyzes Suffolk’s history of project scheduling and makes predictions for potential delays in current and future construction projects based on factors like weather and project timelines. Suffolk’s chief data officer predicts that these new technologies could increase the company’s productivity by 14-20% over the next few years.