Artificial intelligence and machine learning could help the Chartered Institute of Building and its members to personalise training and CPD, suggests David Stockdale FCIOB.
AI is the branch of computer science dealing with decision-making or predictive capabilities demonstrated by machines. AI is usually powered by machine learning algorithms that make progressively better decisions or predictions over time. Machine learning is a field connected with the design and development of algorithms and techniques that allow computers to keep improving their performance over time without human intervention.
Within the context of the CIOB, AI could give a ‘brand advantage’ by facilitating and focusing the ‘strategic engine’ potential of CIOB Academy. This could be achieved via AI personalisation in terms of membership CPD requirements and the global transfer of best practice.
Personalisation provides membership with individually tailored CIOB brand experiences. This can be achieved with precision and at a vast scale. For example, the Harvard Business Review Press has cited Pandora’s use of AI to generate personalised playlists for each of its millions of users according to their preferences in songs, artists and genres. Or consider Starbucks, which (with customers’ permission) uses AI to recognise mobile devices and call up customers’ ordering history to help baristas make serving recommendations.
AI technology does what it does best, sifting through and processing copious amounts of data to recommend certain offerings or actions, and humans do what they do best, exercising their intuition and judgement to make a recommendation or select the best fit from a set of choices.
Bespoke AI mentor
How about a personalised AI mentor for each CIOB member facilitated by CIOB Academy using machine learning?
The ultimate strategic goal for CIOB could be to lead a collaborative global partnership with its stakeholders and ‘sister’ professional organisations: to design, develop and implement a CIOB Academy CPD/transfer of best practice AI suite of tools that covers the global built environment. The strategic intent being to increase membership and demonstrable added value to all regions of the globe that the CIOB wishes to pursue.
David Stockdale FCIOB is director of Briga Consulting.
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