6 Using data science to reduce construction risk and waste In 2019, Autodesk launched the Construction IQ Preview, a software program that uses machine learning to improve construction practices and outcomes. Our algorithms and models enhance design reviews, helping to reduce rework and waste, detect high-risk defects like water penetration risk early, and analyze unsafe behaviors and safety hazards in construction, which is consistently one of the most hazardous industry sectors. By analyzing data such as issues, observations, checklists, subcontractor assignments, and historical data from across Autodesk’s construction management platform, Construction IQ identifies high-risk issues during design reviews and construction and finds patterns of unsafe behavior that increase risk for fatal injuries on a jobsite. The algorithms were trained using more than 150 million data points gleaned from nearly 30,000 real projects. In March 2020, based on this innovation, Autodesk was rated #5 on Fast Company’s list of the most innovative data science companies of 2020 . Autodesk ® AutoCAD ® , CAMduct TM , CFD, Civil 3D ® , Formit ® , FormIt ® Pro, , InfraWorks ® , Insight, Navisworks ® , ReCap TM , Revit ® , Robot Structural Analysis Professional, and Autodesk Construction Cloud software Building design and engineering • Design high-performance buildings • Conduct energy analysis from concept to complex modeling • Optimize HVAC system design • Use clash detection during design to reduce waste in construction • Reduce embodied carbon through design and material specification • Plan for smart decommissioning and materials recovery • Improve structural material efficiency Infrastructure • Plan and design infrastructure for resilience and adaptation to climate change • Visualize projects in the context of the surrounding built and natural conditions • Perform simulations to assess environmental and social impacts of designs • Conduct traffic flow and mobility impact studies • Optimize inland and coastal flooding projects • Manage bioretention and green stormwater infrastructure Construction • Reduce embodied carbon through low-carbon material procurement • Support lean production planning and execution to reduce waste and streamline schedule • Improve site safety • Modularize design and maximize prefabrication • Minimize scrap in fabrication • Increase precision to maximize built performance Product design and manufacturing (D&M) : Consumer demand for more environmentally friendly products, as well as new environmental regulations, pushes manufacturers to commit to sustainable and circular outcomes in their work. In a 2018 survey of senior executives from large corporations around the world, 30% said their company had a circular economy strategy, and over three-quarters plan on adopting targets to make their products, processes, or business models more circular in the coming five years. 12 A study of Autodesk’s design and manufacturing customers showed that approximately 52% have commitments to implementing sustainable practices. 13 To address sustainability challenges and meet their commitments, Autodesk customers are implementing smarter and more efficient design and manufacturing approaches, increasing materials productivity, developing more circular business models, reducing energy use, and enhancing supply chain responsibility. To better understand how these trends apply to our customers, in 2019 Autodesk and IDEO led a workshop with approximately 20 designers, manufacturers, and consultants to explore what process changes and tools could better support sustainable product design. The “A.I. Chair,” the first chair created in partnership between humans and artificial intelligence, resulted from a conversation between Philippe Starck, Kartell, and Autodesk. Launched in 2019 and made using 100% recycled material, it was developed using generative design , a form of artificial intelligence that uses the power of the cloud to create better outcomes for products, buildings, infrastructure, systems, and experiences. This technology offers great potential for sustainable design through optimization (and reduction) of materials use, energy consumption, and other dimensions. 12. Going Circular: How Global Business is Embracing the Circular Economy. https://d.newsweek.com/en/file/459592/newsweek-vantage-going-circular.pdf 13. Autodesk engaged Business Advantage, a market research consulting firm, to conduct a study of 1400 Autodesk customers to understand their commitments to sustainability. The study, completed in 2019, determined a “commitment to sustainability” if the customer committed explicitly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and/or showed evidence of a commitment to sustainability on their corporate website.