A few weeks ago, I received a link to a Radware report warning about the “grave dangers” associated with robot networks that exploit Internet of Things devices as weapons of attack for launching ransomware and various other nasty disruptions against companies and individuals.
Around the same time, The Guardian posted on its website a 45-second video that shows SpotMini, a dog-like robot manufactured by Boston Dynamics, using a mechanical arm mounted on its back to open a door. That video went viral, with 8.3 million viewers in the first nine days who also saw the newspaper’s dire verdict that this machine advance is “terrifying.”
Technology has been and always will be perceived as a source for wonder and worry. As it becomes evermore essential to our daily functions, more than just the viewers of “Black Mirror” are concerned about tech’s encroachments.
This trepidation might explain why several of the technologists I’ve interviewed recently for stories about virtual reality and artificial intelligence in construction were at great pains to explain why technology can be disruptive in positive ways that shouldn’t threaten anyone’s psyche or livelihood.
“VR is neither good nor bad—it’s a tool,” states Jeremy Bailenson, a professor at Stanford University. In his new book, “Experience on Demand,” Bailenson acknowledges that there are “darker” sides to VR that can’t be ignored. But the best way to use it responsibly, he asserts, “is to be educated about what it is capable of.”
Alvise Simondetti, Arup’s Global Leader of Digital Environment, sees smart machines as “partners”—rather than adversaries—of humans. And he’s not buying into the fear that technology will inevitably dumb down creativity and render certain job titles obsolete.
Take last year’s launch of AutoDraw, the “doodle bot” developed by Google’s Creative Lab, which pairs machine learning with drawings from artists. AutoDraw gives a drawer the ability to replace a rough sketch with a more-refined drawing from that data library.
Some designers probably see AutoDraw as ominous. Simondetti views such “enhancements” as progress.
“Architects can only explore a narrow part of a design space solution. Machines can simply see a ton more,” says Simondetti. He adds that artificial intelligence will speed up the design process at a time when “the world can’t wait, not with the rate of urbanization.”
Such sanguinity might sound surprising coming from someone working in an industry usually characterized as tech phobic. But I get the sense that more AEC firms and their suppliers want to shake off that retrograde image and push their industry closer to the vanguard.
More AEC firms and their clients seem convinced that their readiness to at least coexist with—rather than quixotically resist—technology could decide who wins and who loses going forward.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Apr 8, 2024
Boston’s plans to hold back rising seawater stall amid real estate slowdown
Boston has placed significant aspects of its plan to protect the city from rising sea levels on the actions of private developers. Amid a post-Covid commercial development slump, though, efforts to build protective infrastructure have stalled.
Sustainability | Apr 8, 2024
3 sustainable design decisions to make early
In her experience as an architect, Megan Valentine AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, WELL AP, Fitwel, Director of Sustainability, KTGY has found three impactful sustainable design decisions: site selection, massing and orientation, and proper window-to-wall ratios.
Brick and Masonry | Apr 4, 2024
Best in brick buildings: 9 projects take top honors in the Brick in Architecture Awards
The Ace Hotel Toronto, designed by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, and the TCU Music Center by Bora Architecture & Interiors are among nine "Best in Class" winners and 44 overall winners in the Brick Industry Association's 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards.
Retail Centers | Apr 4, 2024
Retail design trends: Consumers are looking for wellness in where they shop
Consumers are making lifestyle choices with wellness in mind, which ignites in them a feeling of purpose and a sense of motivation. That’s the conclusion that the architecture and design firm MG2 draws from a survey of 1,182 U.S. adult consumers the firm conducted last December about retail design and what consumers want in healthier shopping experiences.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 3, 2024
Foster + Partners, CannonDesign unveil design for Mayo Clinic campus expansion
A redesign of the Mayo Clinic’s downtown campus in Rochester, Minn., centers around two new clinical high-rise buildings. The two nine-story structures will reach a height of 221 feet, with the potential to expand to 420 feet.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 2, 2024
How university rec centers are evolving to support wellbeing
In a LinkedIn Live, Recreation & Wellbeing’s Sadat Khan and Abby Diehl joined HOK architect Emily Ostertag to discuss the growing trend to design and program rec centers to support mental wellbeing and holistic health.
Architects | Apr 2, 2024
AE Works announces strategic acquisition of WTW Architects
AE Works, an award-winning building design and consulting firm is excited to announce that WTW Architects, a national leader in higher education design, has joined the firm.
Office Buildings | Apr 2, 2024
SOM designs pleated façade for Star River Headquarters for optimal daylighting and views
In Guangzhou, China, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has designed the recently completed Star River Headquarters to minimize embodied carbon, reduce energy consumption, and create a healthy work environment. The 48-story tower is located in the business district on Guangzhou’s Pazhou Island.
K-12 Schools | Apr 1, 2024
High school includes YMCA to share facilities and connect with the broader community
In Omaha, Neb., a public high school and a YMCA come together in one facility, connecting the school with the broader community. The 285,000-sf Westview High School, programmed and designed by the team of Perkins&Will and architect of record BCDM Architects, has its own athletic facilities but shares a pool, weight room, and more with the 30,000-sf YMCA.
Market Data | Apr 1, 2024
Nonresidential construction spending dips 1.0% in February, reaches $1.179 trillion
National nonresidential construction spending declined 1.0% in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.179 trillion.