Statistics revealed in the latest Deltek Clarity Architecture & Engineering Industry Study have indicated wide optimism about the use of AI technology, even as most firms struggle to determine where and how to apply emerging trends in the face of prevailing economic headwinds.

According to the 45th annual report, 62% of all 650 surveyed A&E respondents across the United States and Canada have successfully begun using AI to augment their daily operations. Only 20% of firms now report at least three-quarters of their project leadership teams as possessing the proper project management training to best utilize such tools, with another 44% reporting insufficient time to invest in skill-based learning. Other leading challenges include prioritizing applicable trends and the cost of technology. 

The findings add to a body of recent valuable industry trends reporting, including last month’s Autodesk study which stated that 76% of all AEC professionals now feel confident about incorporating AI into their daily workflows. The Deltek report, produced with help from the AIA, also contains information about the percentage of firms using generative AI for marketing and proposal creation (24%), data summarization (17%), 3D modeling and rendering (15%), and data analysis (14%).

Project delivery times impacted by staffing shortages continue to present a challenge to firms, with 40% reporting difficulties working behind schedule because of them. Firms also project an 11% net revenue growth in 2023, up slightly from 10.2% last year. 

“Firms continue to have an optimistic outlook. The A&E industry had a fairly flat but stable year in terms of financial performance in 2023 and is continuing to see revenue growth year over year, which was welcome after several years of economic volatility,” Megan Miller, Director of Product Marketing at Deltek, said. “It’s great to see firms continue to focus on upskilling existing talent and strategically investing in technology like AI to improve efficiency. For the year ahead, firms should continue to focus on engaging employees, and invest resources into education and expertise to identify which emerging tech tools to take advantage of and how best to deploy them.”