Don’t take it personally - AI is disrupting your industry, not you.

AI has been used across various industries for decades, with automation leading to vast improvements in business and operational efficiency.

The term AI actually dates back to 1955, coined by John McCarthy, who is widely considered the founding father of AI. In the early days, research was directed towards building machines with the capability to simply perform tasks autonomously, something that would typically require human intelligence.

AI is now more advanced than McCarthy and his researchers could have ever imagined, with new models being able to solve increasingly complex problems.

In industries like real estate and the facilities management sub-sector, AI integration means reducing time spent on repetitive tasks which leads to significant cost reduction, increased operational efficiency, greater ESG accountability and enables end-to-end ownership for users and managers.

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But… isn’t it the end of life as we know it?!

The rapid advancement of AI has caused major concerns, the likes of which echo across social and mainstream media. New technological developments inevitably instigate fears over job losses, data breaches, and have served as the inspiration for many a sci-fi film.

Far-fetched scenarios aside, security remains an important consideration and each wave of technological development has created new threats and the need for more sophisticated safeguards. In the majority of cases, hoops are gone through for a system to enter the public domain, with multiple layers implemented to ensure that safety is not compromised.

It is natural to have an element of worry regarding replacement in the workplace, which we touched on in our previous blog. However, we must remember: Replacing human workers is not the intention of AI companies. The reality is that within property and FM, AI works to automate routine and perhaps taxing responsibilities, freeing up workers to focus their time on more complex, human-driven jobs.

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How does it work in the world of real estate and facilities management?

There are numerous advantages to implementing new technologies and tools into an industry that has developed a reputation for being slow to embrace technological advancements.

The sector is in need of modernisation, so it is important to consider the ways in which automation can drive development. In what is ultimately a services industry, AI integrations will drastically improve the quality of delivery.

Artificial intelligence has the capacity to analyse vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, identifying trends that the human eye may not be able to decipher so rapidly. Therefore, using AI allows your services to incrementally improve with each customer that uses it. The machine will learn as you input new data, meaning early adoption is beneficial.

Energy efficiency in buildings, and how it can be managed or monitored accurately, is integral to achieving ESG aims. AI has the capability to optimise energy use in buildings, resulting in huge carbon emissions and cost reductions. Similarly, if there were to become a fault in a complex or building, the capacity for regular monitoring via a digital assistant allows for this to be immediately logged and maintenance scheduled.

Data security has been a major point of concern amongst the public when it comes to AI. In certain sectors, these concerns are valid and worth raising. Within facilities and property management, the data that is collected is not compromised and is anonymised.

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So, why askporter?

But how does askporter, in particular, negate this and drive efficiencies? Our algorithms work to automate much of the above, and additionally tenant communications and maintenance requests. Being able to respond rapidly ensures that property managers can focus on strategic requirements (it can otherwise be tricky to find the time!).

Positive customer experience is essential to a thriving business and our technology enables our customers to provide a seamless experience for end-users. Occupant satisfaction is central to our mission, and the ability to run direct communication is fundamental to the core aim of providing exceptional customer relations. The accessibility to insights at such a high level of accuracy is second to none and has changed the game in facilities management.

It can be easy to be swept up by concerns. We must remember that AI has not been developed to make your life harder, but instead, as something to elevate the ordinary human experience. Although approaching AI with trepidation in some cases is a necessity, the reality is that AI has been around for decades, and most applications are just automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks. AI is here to make our lives, and our jobs, easier.

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