41% of architects in the UK are already using AI on some projects, and of those, 43% believe that AI has increased efficiency in the design process, according to the recent RIBA AI Report.

The 34-page report, titled RIBA AI Report 2024, presents and gathers findings from a survey on AI's current and future use in the profession.

The adoption rate of artificial intelligence in architectural practice is 41%, while 43% use artificial intelligence "at least occasionally in projects." While 43% of those who use artificial intelligence in some way believe that artificial intelligence increases efficiency in architectural design processes, the rate of those who disagree with this idea is 24%.

"AI will become an inevitable part of our increasing need to become more efficient, while also simultaneously helping us to deal with ever greater complexities of design and construction," said one of the architects who responded to the survey. 

“We use AI to provide code for the automation of various aspects of project and document management, but still to a very limited degree," said one of the architects. 

“We use virtual environments and digital twins to achieve a radical reduction in the carbon, energy, water, and waste footprints of costly physical construction," added another architect. 

“AI can offer the opportunity for architects to work with more efficiency and remove some of the more tedious work. If harnessed it can result in better work culture, fees and salaries," another architect said.

"AI is the most disruptive tool of our time"

RIBA president Muyiwa Oki underlined that the role of artificial intelligence should not be underestimated.

"AI is the most disruptive tool of our time, and we cannot overstate its role in shaping the future of architecture – from the character of our cities to the quality of our built environment," said Muyiwa Oki. 

"Our findings show architects are curious and open-minded about AI, and some of us are true pioneers.  

"There’s no turning back"

He added that "By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and a culture of responsible innovation, we can harness the power of AI to create a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable built environment. There’s no turning back."

The report also predicts that 54% of architects will actively use artificial intelligence in the next 2 years. Additionally, 57% of them believe that AI will increase efficiency in the design process.

69% of architects have not yet invested resources in AI research and development

However, with artificial intelligence, this ambition is quite limited; because artificial intelligence can only be implemented by using the necessary infrastructure and tools. The report also discusses whether the necessary investment has been made in the field of artificial intelligence. According to the report, 69% of architects say that they do not invest in AI research and development.

"A near majority (49%) of architects agree that this complexity means the profession needs more and better digital tools, including AI," stated the RIBA Report. 

"Practices could gain a competitive edge here by being early AI adopters, but this potential is likely to need investment to realise. Just one in five (20%) practices have invested resources in AI research and development. The majority (69%) have not," reads the report.

Considering that 70% of the world's population will live in cities by 2050, artificial intelligence has great potential for sustainable urbanization, as the RIBA noted. The report stated that 57% of architects expect to use artificial intelligence to perform environmental sustainability analysis within the next 2 years.

Additionally, 49% underline that there will be a need for artificial intelligence to meet the increasing complexity of buildings applied in climate adaptation and smart building technologies.

AI image created with Midjourney: courtesy of Jaina Valji, Copy & Space via RIBA

"AI increases the risk of our work being imitated"

However, most architects regarding artificial intelligence are not positive. 58% of architects think that AI increases the risk of their work being imitated. While some worry about AI taking away their jobs, 36% of architects see AI as a threat to the profession. 34% of architects disagree and 30% of them are neutral.

"Architecture is a creative profession, with creativity expressed through building design. If AI can easily and cheaply output plausible design imitations that can be readily passed-off, the creative foundation of the profession may become vulnerable," stated in the report.

"AI will lead to staff reductions"

The report also emphasizes that AI will affect human resources. 36% of architects think that imitable work with AI will lead to staff reductions.

"Thirty-six per cent agree that AI will lead to staff reductions, while 30% disagree and 34% have no clear view," it added. "The view on the potential threat to the profession is finely balanced, with 35% agreeing that AI is a near-term threat to the profession, 36% disagreeing and 29% equivocal."

RIBA’s new Expert Advisory Group on AI

The RIBA has established a new Expert Advisory Group (EAG) to look at the wider ethical, professional, and competitive implications of AI integration within the architectural profession.

RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said that "RIBA’s new Expert Advisory Group on AI is building on the findings of this report to look at the broader ethical, professional, and competitive implications of the widespread integration of AI."

Other findings in the report include; 49% of architects expect AI to increase accuracy in modeling and simulations, while 41% think AI will be integrated into bid creation and project management. 40% of architects believe that artificial intelligence will be used to enhance the accuracy of their specifications. 

"Ultimately the profession will disappear"

The most important areas of concern about artificial intelligence are wages and employment. Opinions are that without adequate wages, there will be fewer jobs in architecture, and ultimately the profession will disappear.

"Only 15% of respondents think that AI will have a positive effect on fee income, and a clear majority (56%) believe the effect will be negative," stated in the report. 

"A significant minority (46%) anticipate negative effects on employment opportunities and only 22% see positive effects here," it added.

The top image in the article: Experiment with Midjourney, courtesy of Jaina Valji, Copy and Space via RIBA.

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