AI Isn’t Replacing People In Construction. It’s Making Us Better Communicators.

The word “AI” gets thrown around a lot in construction. Most of the time, it’s either overhyped—or feared.

But at Brien Contracting, we’re not interested in gimmicks. We’re interested in tools that help us communicate better, move faster, and build trust with the people we work with every day.

That’s why we’ve started integrating AI in a way that supports our team, not replaces it—and it’s already making a difference.

More Present in the Room

We use Fathom to support our Owner-Architect-Contractor (OAC) meetings—and it’s a game changer.

Instead of our project managers scribbling down notes or scrambling to track every comment, they’re fully present—listening, engaging, and problem-solving in real time. Fathom captures the call and summarizes key takeaways automatically, which gives us a solid foundation for our Brien specific post-call communication.

But here’s the difference: we don’t auto-send transcripts.

We use Fathom as a support tool, not a crutch. It enhances our internal process, but we still take ownership of communicating clearly with clients, designers, and trade partners after every call. It’s about professionalism—not automation.

Supporting Our Protocols, Not Replacing Them

We already have strong systems in place for how we follow up after meetings. Fathom just helps us do it faster, more consistently, and with fewer gaps.

It’s not replacing communication—it’s helping us deliver on our promise: clarity, transparency, and no surprises.

What’s Next: Procore’s AI Agents

We’re also in the early stages of integrating Procore’s AI-powered agents into our workflows as they launch. These tools are built to assist with everything from RFIs and submittals to site tracking—and we’ve been training the system thoroughly for many years now.

Our approach? Feed it high-quality inputs so it can serve our team well in the field. Like any tool, it’s only as useful as the systems behind it—and we’re committed to using it right.

More to come as we roll it out.

Our Takeaway

AI isn’t going to replace project managers. It’s not going to replace superintendents. And it sure won’t replace leadership.

But it can support better communication, cleaner execution, and stronger relationships—when it’s used with intention.

At Brien Contracting, we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done: build trust through clear expectations, strong systems, and doing the right thing.

Now, we just have one more tool to help us do it even better.