Notes on Using AI in Construction From People Who Still Like Paper
- Brainz Magazine
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 4
Written by Neil Streets, Founder and Managing Director
Neil Streets is Managing Director of Alphafish and a global leader in real estate delivery. With 20+ years’ experience, he has led £10B+ capital programmes for UHNWIs, developers, and Fortune 500 firms. Known for turning around complex projects and aligning organisations with regulatory and strategic goals.
This isn’t a how-to. It’s a set of observations from our work at Alphafish, where we’ve found artificial intelligence helpful, where we haven’t, and why the simple, human bits still carry the day. I’ve written playbooks before. This isn’t one of them. Consider it a walk around the site with a coffee, a few stories, some gentle patterns we’ve noticed, and an open invitation to compare notes.
The feeling we’re after
On good days, our meetings start on time and end early. People arrive knowing what changed and what needs a decision. There’s space for judgment. AI shows up quietly on those days, as a tidy summary, a nudge, a second pair of eyes. No drama. No new religion. Just a little more calm.
A few small moments that stuck with us
The seven-line recap. On a Monday in London, our “what did we miss?” ritual became seven clear lines pulled from last week’s emails and notes. Nobody argued with the summary; they argued (usefully) about the decision. That’s progress.
The almost-missed change. A midweek drawing revision didn’t match a number in the budget. A simple comparison flagged it. Our cost lead took a look, made a call, and a small mistake stayed small. We slept better.
The kinder translation. A blunt message from one country read as harsh in another. A quick rewrite softened the tone without losing the point. The relationship mattered more than being “technically correct.”
The quiet risk. Site diaries mentioned a recurring access issue. A suggestion popped up to add it as a risk. The PM agreed, noted a mitigation, and it never became a Friday afternoon crisis. Not spectacular, just useful.
None of these moments made the project. But they made the week.
What we ask AI to do and not do
We ask it to shorten long things, highlight mismatches, draft the first pass, and direct questions to the right person. We don’t ask it to sign off on safety matters, produce final numbers, or make judgment calls wrapped in politics and context. Not because a rulebook told us so, but because we like being able to look a client in the eye and say, “I made that call.”
About tools (and why we like open doors)
We use platforms. Some are excellent. But we’re happiest when our information still looks like ordinary files with clear names, things you can open in more than one place. If a tool helps, we keep it. If it starts telling us how we must work, we get itchy. Portability isn’t a statement; it’s a feeling of freedom that makes teams braver.
Leadership, in practice
The older I get, the less I admire heroics and the more I admire tidy work. Calm folders. Straightforward notes. Decisions written in plain English. The best compliment we hear is, “That was easy.” AI helps us reach that feeling a bit more often.
Accountability still has a name on it
New safety regulations in the UK expect clear trails of who decided what and why. AI is good at collecting the breadcrumbs. It’s not a substitute for responsibility. We keep the sign-offs with human beings who know the site and the client.
Where this leaves us
If there’s a theme, it’s this, "small, human improvements beat grand promises". We’re here for the quiet wins, the early finish, the avoided rework, the email that lands well. If you’ve found other small wins (or hard lessons), I’d love to hear them. The most useful ideas we’ve adopted didn’t arrive as a product demo; they arrived as a conversation.
Join the conversation
If this piece nudged a thought, agreement, disagreement, or a story of your own, reach out. We’ll happily trade notes over coffee in London or on a call. Construction moves forward when we share what actually makes our days better.
Neil Streets, Founder and Managing Director
Neil Streets is a recognised leader in strategic real estate and infrastructure delivery. He is the Managing Director of Alphafish, a specialist consultancy advising UHNWIs, developers, and global firms on capital programmes exceeding £10 billion. With over two decades of international experience, Neil has held senior roles at Cazoo, Dow and Amazon, and has directed landmark developments including a £5B new town regeneration and a £2B luxury masterplan in Albania. Known for turning around complex projects and aligning organisations with regulatory reform, Neil is also an expert in high-risk buildings legislation and agile delivery.
