MIT, Suffolk Release Joint Study on How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming the Construction Industry

Pulling from academic research and industry input, the report identifies six areas where AI is improving construction performance across the project lifecycle

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Suffolk, one of the most innovative and successful builders in the country, in partnership with the MIT Center for Real Estate and MIT Media Lab City Science group, has released “Construction in the Age of AI,” a new joint study that examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping construction performance and productivity, and where it can deliver the most meaningful gains in processes, scheduling and project feasibility.

The construction industry continues to face declining productivity, fragmented project delivery, limited technology investment and persistent pressure from rising costs and labor shortages. Long approval timelines, siloed data and disconnected workflows have made it difficult for owners, builders, designers and regulators to improve performance at scale. AI has the potential to solve these challenges, helping teams process information faster, coordinate work earlier and make better decisions across a project's lifecycle.

“Construction is at an inflection point,” said John Fish, Chairman and CEO of Suffolk. “AI presents a real opportunity to transform the way we build. The most meaningful progress will come when the entire ecosystem aligns around better data, smarter workflows and shared accountability. Fully realizing this opportunity will require us to rethink how projects are planned, coordinated and delivered, enabling us to build with greater speed, efficiency and precision. The companies and teams that act now will help define the future of construction.”

Drawing on academic literature, case studies, expert interviews, survey input and an industry roundtable, the project involved over 50 industry leaders in the review and identified six priority domains where AI shows the greatest near-term potential: design automation, offsite manufacturing, permitting, scheduling, skilled labor and subcontracting, and supply chain and procurement.

• Design automation: Evaluate design options earlier, balancing cost, constructability, performance and code requirements
• Offsite manufacturing: Support prefabricated and modular construction by connecting design, production and delivery
• Permitting: Interpret building codes and support more efficient compliance and permit reviews
• Scheduling: Create more responsive schedules that identify risk and coordinate sequencing, labor and materials as conditions change
• Skilled labor and subcontracting: Reduce administrative work and help field teams and trade partners access the information, materials and approvals they need when they need them
• Supply chain and procurement: Connect design decisions to available products, helping teams plan around what can be sourced, manufactured and delivered

In one sample multifamily project, Suffolk's model suggests the combined application of the six AI-enabled levers could create 17 to 20 percent total cost savings and 22 to 25 percent total schedule savings. These improvements have the potential to improve project predictability and feasibility, even in markets where modest changes in cost and timing can determine whether a project moves forward.

“This study is important because it starts to connect academic research with practical industry evidence,” said James Scott, Co-Lead, MIT Center for Real Estate. “The next step is to keep building the data foundation needed to understand where AI has the strongest impact, where the limits still are and how those findings can be translated into better decision-making across real projects. That kind of evidence base is essential if the industry wants to move from promising examples to durable, repeatable progress.”

The study points to a broader shift in how the construction industry will operate in the years ahead, suggesting that AI will have the greatest impact not as a single tool, but as a connected system of capabilities that improves project planning, delivery and performance across the full lifecycle. As the industry continues to test, measure and scale these approaches, the next phase will depend on collaboration, better data and a willingness to rethink long-standing processes in service of better outcomes.

“When data, systems and field operations are connected, teams can make better decisions faster and remove a lot of the manual friction that slows projects down,” said Jit Kee Chin, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Suffolk. “The opportunity now is to move from isolated AI use cases to integrated workflows that create measurable value across design, procurement, scheduling and execution. That is where AI starts to become operational, not theoretical.”

Read the full study, “Construction in the Age of AI: An Industry White Paper and Research Roadmap” here.

About Suffolk
Suffolk is a national enterprise that builds, innovates and invests. Suffolk is an end-to-end business that delivers value across the entire project lifecycle by leveraging its core construction management services with vertical service lines that include design, self-perform construction services, technology start-up investment (Suffolk Technologies), supply chain management, and innovation research and development focused on advancing AI and data-driven solutions that will redefine the way America builds.

Suffolk – America’s Contractor – is a national company with more than $10 billion in annual revenue, 3,500 employees, and offices in Boston (headquarters); New York City and Westchester County, New York; Estero, Miami, Tampa and West Palm Beach, Florida; Dallas; Los Angeles, Milpitas, San Francisco and San Diego, California; Las Vegas; Portland, Maine; New Haven, Connecticut; Herndon, Virginia; and Salt Lake City.

Suffolk manages some of the most complex, sophisticated projects in the country, serving clients in every major industry sector, including healthcare, life sciences, education, gaming, transportation/aviation, government and public work, mission critical, advanced technology and commercial. Suffolk is privately held and is led by Founder, Chairman and CEO John Fish. Suffolk is ranked #7 on its list of “Top CM-at-Risk Contractors.” For more information, visit www.suffolk.com and follow Suffolk on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About MIT Center for Real Estate
The MIT Center for Real Estate (CRE) is a pioneering hub at the intersection of academia, technology, and industry, dedicated to advancing the global real estate sector through cutting-edge research, education, and innovation. Offering the world’s first specialized Master of Science in Real Estate Development program, the MIT Center for Real Estate remains at the forefront of transforming the built environment for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. For more information, please visit https://cre.mit.edu/.