Balfour Beatty to Host AI Hackathon in the US to Solve Construction Challenges

Balfour Beatty is hosting its first AI hackathon in the US, with 70 employees working to create AI prototypes for common construction problems. The event, "My Contribution AI Hackathon," will take place at Microsoft's campus near Dallas and focus on six key business areas. The company has recently invested $9.6 million in Microsoft 365 Copilot and plans to develop AI agents for quality, health and safety, and assurance processes. The hackathon aims to build on Balfour Beatty's momentum in the AI space and its relationship with Microsoft.

Balfour Beatty is set to host its inaugural AI hackathon in the United States, aiming to harness employee creativity to develop AI prototypes for common construction challenges. The event, titled "My Contribution AI Hackathon," will take place on September 8-9 at Microsoft's campus near Dallas. Seventy employees will collaborate to address issues in six key business areas: preconstruction planning, safety/zero harm, quality, business development, internal efficiencies, and standard operating procedures [1].

The hackathon builds upon Balfour Beatty's recent investments in AI technology. The company recently allocated $9.6 million to Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI offering from Microsoft [1]. Additionally, Balfour Beatty plans to develop AI agents to enhance quality, health, and safety assurance processes [1]. The event seeks to leverage AI and data analytics to drive productivity and solve business problems, echoing the company's commitment to innovation [1].

This initiative follows similar innovation efforts in the UK. In 2024, Balfour Beatty's Big AI Challenge resulted in two winning ideas: highway repair clustering and auto-generation of inspection and test plans [1]. These projects demonstrated the company's dedication to leveraging AI to transform construction processes [1].

Kasey Bevans, Balfour Beatty US Chief Information Officer, commented, "Balfour Beatty's MyC AI Hackathon is a catalyst for innovation. We're bringing together frontline and administrative expertise and technologies to reimagine how construction gets done" [1].

References:
[1] https://www.constructiondive.com/news/balfour-beatty-ai-hackathon-us/759107/