Chat GPT is the hero construction didn’t know it needed. And I’d wager most in the industry don’t know it exists.
In this article, you’ll see:
What Chat GPT is
My conversation about helping construction with the chatbot
How the tool can easily create a template for you
A bonus Chat GPT productivity tip
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Chat GPT is a conversational chatbot. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to generate responses to your questions and prompts. Not in the cute way you might have played with years ago.
It’s legit.
You can ask it almost anything and you will get an answer. It ranges from how many inches inside a square foot to writing full-blown proposals for you.
I’ve seen people build complete websites just by asking Chat GPT to code it for them. We know construction has a love/hate relationship with spreadsheets. Move the needle to the former with Excel and Google Sheets support from the AI.
Let’s scratch the surface and see what it can do for you, in construction.
I asked Chat GPT a basic question: how can construction professionals use you?
In just a few seconds, the chatbot spits out 4 of them.
This answer gave me goosebumps. I spent 6 years working as an estimator and felt like I started everything from scratch, no matter the size or significance of the work.
Is this a whole new world? Let’s dig a little deeper.
Chat GPT says it can help us understand building regulations and codes. They’re pretty crucial in construction so I put it to the test. I got specific.
Question: I'm a UK specialist contractor in the roofing sector - what health & safety regulations do I need to look out for on new jobs?
*be careful when asking ChatGPT about the regulations by confirming the output elsewhere.
Now, I realise this could seem like a ‘suck egg’ answer. But to many, this information would be invaluable.
Here’s a chance to get Chat GPT to work for us and save tons of time.
Question: can you create a risk assessment for working at height?
This continues until it ends with:
What’s even cooler about this is the first answer Chat GPT gave didn’t look like a document. It just listed what the risk assessment should include, like this:
I just asked it to “make it look more like a document” and wallah, there you go.
Once again, established companies will already have this content. It’s just one use case, and it’s useful for smaller construction firms.
Chat GPT will give you an example of a completed risk assessment if you ask the right way. It refused until I reassured the chatbot:
When you complete the risk assessment, chuck it into Chat GPT to check for spelling and grammar errors. Even more impressive, you can ask Chat GPT to change the tone, like this:
Chat GPT is right, H&S is no laughing matter. But you see the positive implications of this. You can rush an email without worrying about how it comes across. Just give the chatbot your copy and ask it to rewrite in a professional tone.
During meetings, I jot down almost everything that’s said, including questions and future actions. I’m an unstoppable note-taker.
The problem is, I rarely have time or the inclination to understand them afterwards. They’re more for future reference in case something comes up.
Chat GPT has changed that. And it has more use than just my ramblings.
Working in construction, you’re always in meetings where what’s said is pivotal to progress. It’s also crucial for accountability.
Here’s how to organise your notes, freeing you up to jot everything down and not worry about sorting afterwards.
Question: Here are my notes. Can you list all the actions that need to be taken? Can you list all the questions? Can you turn the rest into a minutes document?
I pasted 713 jumbled words from a 60-minute meeting and got this back:
A 24-point action list (only showing the first two answers for privacy reasons)
10 questions that need answering
