The rise of AI in construction and its effect on the skills gap - both positive and negative - will be one of the key topics of conversation at next month’s UK Construction Week London.

The event returns to London's ExCeL from May 7-9.

Amongst the 300-plus talks, seminars and workshops will be a main stage discussion on Thursday, 8 May at 2pm, entitled Skills Gap or Tech Takeover: The Future of Construction’s Workforce.

Speakers include Bradley Webster, director of transformation at Baily Garner, and Kope.ai co-founder, David Flynn.

Bradley Webster, managing partner at Baily Garner, said: “The future of the construction industry will be inseparable from the growth and implementation of AI.

“We are on our own journey of adoption at Baily Garner, but our industry as a whole faces a critical need to supplement its resources amid a long running skills shortage.

“This is especially true if we are to achieve the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes by 2030, but AI will also play a key role in helping us collate and analyse data on existing buildings.

“Building more homes and improving the country’s schools and hospitals are ambitions we can all agree on. Forums like UK Construction Week provide an important space for us to exchange ideas on how we can leverage AI to achieve them.”

Other key seminars which focus on AI and skills include:

Wednesday, 7 May

• Digital Construction Hub, 10.30am: Generative AI - live demo - Simplifying Contract Management with GenAI: Real-Time Solutions for Companies of All Sizes.
• Digital Construction Hub, 12.30pm: Addressing the Digital Skills Gap - Getting People onboard with Digital Transformation

Thursday, 8 May

• Digital Construction Hub, 12.30pm: Mastering RFP Evaluations with AI: Real-Time Scoring in Minutes. What if reviewing RFPs took minutes instead of hours?
• Digital Construction Hub, 4pm: AEC Innovation: Driving the Future of Learning & Technology. Explore emerging technologies which are transforming the way we learn, build, and collaborate in the industry.

Friday, 9 May

• Digital Construction Hub, 11.30am: AI’s role in building a sustainable digital future - Women in BIM Panel.
• Main Stage, 1pm: AI in Construction: The CIOB Playbook for a Smarter Future, offering practical insights into AI’s potential to revolutionise workflows, enhance design and planning, and mitigate risks.

With an overall theme of ‘Where decisions are made’, UK Construction Week (UKCW) London has announced a host of new features and co-located shows.

The event is designed to cater for the whole construction supply chain and UKCW London 2025 will not only be co-located with The Stone Show & Hard Surfaces for the first time in its history but will feature a range of initiatives and exclusive launches.

Click here to register for UKCW London for free.

Find out more about UKCW here