While views on the role of AI in architecture remain divided, one thing is clear: it’s here to stay. The profession was initially hesitant to adopt AI tools, but that’s starting to change rapidly.

According to a recent study by development consultancy Arup, more than 36 per cent of engineers, architects and city planners globally now rely on AI daily, and more than 80 per cent use it at least once a week.

Things are changing, but architecture and the built environment sectors are still behind many others when it comes to AI adoption.

There has been much talk about the risks of using AI, but what about the risks of not using it – or rather of not engaging with it fully?

At a recent Digital Horizons event hosted by Arup, representatives from major tech companies, NGOs and government figures met to discuss ways to challenge the AI scepticism that could slow important breakthroughs in the design of our built environment.

“The debate around AI is plagued with scepticism. But we know this technology can drive sustainability, enhance resilience, and boost efficiency,” said Will Cavendish, global digital leader at Arup. “We’ve brought everyone together to show the positive use of AI in the real world – we’re already using it to deploy nature to protect cities from extreme weather and to de-carbonise buildings. We now need to work together to accelerate the benefits for cities, infrastructure, property, energy, nature and beyond.”

Many in the profession are using AI tools cautiously, understandably waiting to see how the technology develops. But there’s a danger in staying on the sidelines: if architects aren’t involved in shaping AI, it won’t evolve in ways that support the profession’s needs.

And on a personal level, there is a risk to hanging back – architects probably won’t be replaced by AI, but they could be replaced by other architects using AI creatively and to its fullest potential.

This issue features an interview with Tim Fu, who founded Studio Tim Fu to explore the creative potential of generative AI. For Fu, the benefits of the technology lie not just in its power to automate time-consuming administrative and repetitive tasks – he believes it also has potential to augment human creativity.

“Tools such as AI are not just instruments of efficiency – they’re catalysts for imagination,” he says. “When used thoughtfully, they allow us to ask better questions, to explore deeper layers of meaning and to design with greater agility and intention.”

At the end of the day, AI tools are just that –tools. How humans use these tools will determine how they shape our built environment.