2025 marks five years since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, changing the lives of nearly every single person around the world. The pandemic changed the way that industries operated, and increased demand led many people to burn out or retire at rapid rates. Just five years later, many industries have yet to rebound.
According to UG2, 53 percent of facility management jobs will remain open this year. To combat this, many building managers are turning to emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI) to help fill these gaps. Over 80 percent of commercial building decision makers plan to increase their use of AI over the year, a study by Honeywell found. AI is already being used liberally throughout buildings. According to the survey, respondents said that the technology has helped improve process efficiency, productivity and operations.
Meanwhile, 49 percent of respondents said that they utilize AI for predictive maintenance, saying that it helps streamline repair processes. In addition, 55 percent of respondents are using AI to better track energy efficiency, while 41 percent use it for water usage monitoring.
Many organizations are also looking to bolster their security operations this year. AI has already aided in monitoring unusual behavior, location tracking systems for occupant safety and biometrics-based access control systems.
While technology is aiding in operations, it has yet to replace the skills gap as it isn’t advanced enough to train employees or help upskill labor. According to a report by Angi, 65 percent of tradespeople believe that their job is safe from being upended by AI. As all the facilities management continues to evolve in the coming years, managers are realistic with their expectations when it comes to technological advancements. According to the report, 48 percent of FMs believe that AI with help them in their work, by doing simpler tasks like scheduling so that they are able to focus on the job. Although, 47 percent of respondents believe that AI will never replace trades work as AI has yet to be able to perform any maintenance projects.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.
