AI-Led Project Management in Complex Highway Construction: A Strategic Viability Assessment

AI examines the strategic viability of implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for project management in complex highway construction. It argues that AI has the potential to significantly improve project delivery, particularly in achieving on-time and on-budget results, by overcoming traditional human limitations in areas like estimation, risk management, and resource allocation. However, realizing this potential requires addressing critical strategic considerations, including developing a robust data strategy that prioritizes expert knowledge over flawed historical data, ensuring trust and accountability through Explainable AI (XAI), fostering human-AI collaboration, and managing the human element through workforce adaptation and ethical deployment. The text emphasizes a phased adoption model starting with pilot programs and highlights the synergistic potential of AI with methodologies like BIM and Lean construction.