I am an AI advocate. I firmly believe that its utilization has a lot of potential for the real estate and construction industry. Although I see the opportunities brought by artificial intelligence as mostly positive, it is important to also consider the other side of the coin, i.e. the related risks and information security issues.
How can we prepare for the new risks brought by artificial intelligence, especially from the point of view of digital security? I would highlight at least these things for consideration:
Information security risks
Artificial intelligence requires large amounts of data: if you feed the artificial intelligence text or attachments that contain sensitive or confidential information, there is a real risk that the information will spread. Data security is one of the key risks. Artificial intelligence systems can be vulnerable to data breaches, input manipulation, data leaks or abuse if they are not adequately protected.
Cyber attacks
Artificial intelligence systems in the construction industry can be vulnerable to cyber attacks, which can result in disruptions to site operations and cause delays and financial losses. Attacks can target, for example, information (including plans) or systems. Was the target of a cyber attack Vahanen in the summer of 2022 as well For Uponor from early 2023.
Abuse
Artificial intelligence can be misused, for example to manipulate or distort data, which can lead to incorrect decisions or actions on the job site. The most classic example is fake orders or payment requests, the purpose of which is to try to get the other party to pay a fake payment as soon as possible, citing urgency.
Ethical perspectives
Artificial intelligence has already developed so much that in many situations it can influence people's opinions, values and well-being. Maybe you remember seeing the Pope in a down jacket? This image manipulation is in the most entertaining way and did not cause serious harm, but on the other hand, we have been able to read how even more serious fake news has been made with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence can be so-called miseducated to become biased, discriminatory, unfair or manipulative if its delivery is not based on ethical principles such as openness, fairness, humanity and responsibility. Probably the most famous example Microsoft's Tay chatbot, which, according to Twitter conversations, became very racist in less than a day and had to be shut down.
Consideration of digital security in different stages of construction
Digital security in the construction industry can be viewed from two perspectives: from the perspective of the product (building) and the company. The operation of construction sites and production facilities is part of companies' digital security.
- At work sites digital security is concretized in network and data security as well as physical security. In terms of network and data security, the most important thing is to ensure that firewalls, strong passwords and updated data security software are used on the site to prevent unauthorized access to data or the network. Physical threats at the construction site include theft, destruction or intentional data contamination, for example via a memory stick. Likewise, local servers and other physical devices should also be hidden behind at least one lock on construction sites (cf. server cabinets in offices).
- Companies digital security must be taken into account in business risks and ensure that personnel understand their own role in the digital security of the organization as a whole. Often the weakest link in digital security is the actions of an individual person, especially if the person does not immediately report being the victim of a cyber attack. Today's deep fakes can fool all of us into believing the fake is real. From the point of view of your own business, it is important that the digital security of your own and purchased products and services is in order. A good basis for determining the digital security level of your own company and the site is to use it National safety audit criteria (Katakri 2020).
- The building, i.e. the product digital security must be taken into account in a construction project throughout the project's life cycle, starting from planning and ending with operation during operation. Here, designers, contractors and system suppliers play a big role in order to ensure that information security is planned "from end to end", i.e. both at the level of the individual component/machine and in terms of the whole. Another important thing is that information security functions (e.g. firewalls) work from the moment the machines are connected to the network and turned on, and are kept up-to-date throughout their entire life cycle.
Plan an artificial intelligence strategy suitable for your company and take care of information security issues
Artificial intelligence has great potential to make the construction industry more efficient, but its implementation requires careful planning and ensuring data security.
In the development, implementation and maintenance of artificial intelligence systems, good practices must be followed, such as data curation, decentralization, auditing and encryption methods.
Adhering to ethical principles is also key so that artificial intelligence also serves the best interests of people and promotes a responsible construction industry.
It is therefore important that companies and organizations in the construction industry recognize these risks and develop operational methods to manage them.
Improving data security, combating cyber attacks, complying with ethical principles and training personnel are key to the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence in companies in the construction industry.
We organized the 31.10.2024 Artificial intelligence risks and digital security in the real estate and construction industry event, which was a continuation of the "Artificial intelligence in the construction industry" event organized earlier in the spring.
See also
- Artificial intelligence in the construction industry
- Event recording 17.5. and materials: Artificial intelligence in the construction industry
- Digital security in the construction industry
Elsewhere online
- Elements of AI - the basics of artificial intelligence – online course
- Artificial intelligence in the built environment - online course
- More information about group study sessions
- Artificial intelligence accelerators for companies
- At FAIR EDIH, e.g. free trainings
Antti Aaltonen
Director, construction development
antti.aaltonen@rt.fi +358 40 514 3626Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)
Write a comment