Berkeley Research Group survey finds construction firms reshaping teams more than cutting them

Berkeley Research Group surveyed 109 executives involved in AI implementation in July 2026, and its report found that AI is changing construction teams more often than it is shrinking them. Among 65 North American respondents, 46% changed team structures and 38% retrained employees. Per the report, 18% added headcount in certain areas and 11% reduced it because of AI. Richard Fultineer, BRG's managing director and head of global construction, said the immediate impact falls on information-intensive work such as cost estimating, procurement, design review and contract compliance. He said scaling the tools is hard, with 40% of respondents citing a lack of skilled talent and 43% citing liability for AI-generated errors. Only 15% said they had fully integrated the technology across projects and operations. The report is worth a reader's time for its detailed picture of how contractors and owners are adapting their teams, not just a count of jobs lost.