22 Sep, 2023/ by Surveyor Local /News
Artificial intelligence (AI), and its uses, have been a hot topic for some time in the media.
The subjects of these articles range from sublime (the incredible abilities it gives to those using it, particularly in the medical fields where it has been shown to assist in identifying cancers that might have otherwise been missed by the human eye on scans and X-rays) to the ridiculous (reports of future Armageddon with robots enslaving the human race - life imitating cinematic art).
Of course, there are concerns about the development of AI. There are reports of universities and schools being quite worried about students using the technology to generate their homework, essays and theses.
And there are scare stories about the use of AI on the dark web by criminal gangs. That shouldn't be trivialized because it is a very real concern.
However, as with any new powerful tool, there need to be controls, rules and regulations set in place to ensure that it is used effectively.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence is simply using the speed and efficiency of digital technology to complete a whole host of given tasks.
The AI application has to be taught what to do, what to look for, how to respond, but uses multiple resources in order to achieve the goal.
It is especially useful in situations where laborious and repetitive tasks have to be completed, such as reading through information, finding patterns in data, or looking for particular requirements in documentation, images, music, and so on. It takes the drudge factor out of a human's job.
For labour-intensive sectors of the property market, it is looking like a transformative boon, as the use of AI will eventually allow the skills of those working there to be focused elsewhere instead of drowning in facts, figures and paperwork.
How might AI be used in Chartered Surveying?
According to an article by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), AI is set to revolutionise the building and property sectors.
Specifically for the surveyor checking for faults and problems in a home on behalf of its potential buyer, AI allows for more efficient and accurate assessment of problems.
Not only that but, with the integration of other proven technology such as drones and improved meter tools, access to the parts of the building that would otherwise have been inaccessible or only visible from afar or through binoculars becomes part of the process.
As the article also points out, AI will also be able to swiftly assess data from various sensors and meters to identify not only potential issues that might have gone unnoticed, but also the needs for immediate and future maintenance.
Ultimately, it allows the building surveyors to narrow their focus on the high-risk parts of the property.
As already pointed out, this will take some time to become mainstream, because there will necessarily need to be concerted effort from a number of professionals to ‘teach' the AI tool what to look for and how to interpret what it's looking at.
But, overall, RICS believes that the role of the chartered surveyor will be transformed, allowing them to focus their skills in the right place, while the machine works through all the laborious effort of identifying key problems.
Analysts also suggest that as much as 90% of the current workload for a surveyor could be achieved by AI tools.
And, of course, the tool can be taught to speed through the facts from the on-site survey and create, if not the whole report, then at least a significant percentage of it for the end-user. It can also be taught to right in a certain style of that's what the surveying firm prefers to do.
Until the revolution in working practices becomes mainstream, the quality, efficiency and precision falls to the chartered surveyor you appoint to create your report.
And that's where it really is worth contacting Surveyor Local!
Not only will the surveyor work hard to find all the problems, they will also be keen to adopt new and proven technology in order to give the best survey possible.
Surveyor Local will provide a quote that will not change - what you are quoted is what you pay.
You'll get one of over 100 fully-qualified RICS surveyors, who is local to the property you are buying so they will know the area and bring that knowledge to their assessment and their analysis of the issues with the new home.
Next-day bookings are usually available, and your appointed surveyor will look after arranging access to the property with the estate agent and the seller. Once the survey is complete, they will send you a PDF copy of the report by email.
Call to get your survey quote started, or to discuss your concerns with the acquisition of your planned property.
Or you can get a quick quote, using Surveyor Local's easy-to-use quote generator. Simply input your name, postcode, email address, phone number and an approximate value of the property (usually the agreed price), and we'll give you an instant quote for the work (with an email copy).
We'll do the rest once you confirm your acceptance of the quote.