We are pleased to share that on Friday, 28 November 2025, our Associate Professor, Dr Brian Sheil, delivered a keynote address at The First Conference on Gen AI in the Built Environment. His talk, “Physics First AI for Infrastructure Assessment: Encoding Physics through Synthetic Data Generation”, highlighted recent advances from his research team, particularly the use of simulators, physical constraints and tacit knowledge to train powerful customised deep learning models for infrastructure and construction.
We were also delighted that our CEM student James Turner CEM13 presented his work titled “Generative AI in Construction: Perspectives from Early Adopter Construction Professionals”, which forms part of his work on the Construction Engineering Masters at Cambridge, offering valuable insights into how practitioners are beginning to use Gen AI in construction settings.
About the conference
The First Conference on Gen AI in the Built Environment, held at Nottingham Trent University NTU on 28 November 2025, brought together academics, researchers and industry professionals to discuss the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence across the built environment. The event included presentations, interactive sessions, and opportunities for collaboration, with a focus on improving productivity, supporting creative design, and encouraging data-informed decision-making, while also addressing important questions about ethics, skills, and professional practice.
We congratulate Dr Sheil and James Turner for their excellent contributions.
See the conference programme.
Image: James Turner presenting at the Conference.