AI has become a reality for almost all professional fields in the last two or three years and construction is no exception.
In response to a recent CM reader’s comment looking to find more information and guidance on AI, we have compiled a booklist for those wanting to grasp both the theory and practical implementation and application of AI.
We have split our reading list into two main categories – books on the broad theory and history of AI and books that are more focused on its uses and the implications for construction.
Broad foundations & strategic theory of AI
These books provide non-specialists with a solid understanding of how artificial intelligence works, its origins and history, how to work with algorithmic tools, and the broader economic and societal shifts driving the technology.
Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI (Portfolio / Penguin Business (2024)
- Author: Ethan Mollick
- Key Focus: Practical AI literacy, human-machine collaboration and organisational strategy.
- Why Read It: Written by a Wharton professor who has spent years testing generative AI tools in enterprise environments. Mollick establishes four core rules for co-working with AI, treating modern algorithms not as traditional software tools, but as dynamic, semi-autonomous partners.
The Road to Conscious Machines: The Story of AI (Pelican Books)
- Author: Michael Woolridge
- Key Focus: History of AI, machine learning fundamentals, myth-busting, and realistic capabilities.
- Why Read It: Written by an Oxford professor of computer science, this book provides an accessible, clear-headed account of how AI works under the hood. Wooldridge demystifies complex concepts – from early symbolic logic to modern deep learning – while separating genuine technical milestones from media hype.
The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma (Penguin (2023/2024)
- Author: Mustafa Suleyman (with Michael Bhaskar)
- Key Focus: Frontier tech stack, synthetic biology, and industrial disruption.
- Why Read It: Written by the co-founder of DeepMind (now CEO of Microsoft AI), The Coming Wave provides an insider’s view of where AI capability is heading over the next decade. Suleyman argues that AI and robotics will converge to transform physical industries—such as logistics, energy, and physical construction. This is essential reading for understanding how macro-technological trends will redefine sub-contracting, supply chain transparency, and site automation.
AI books applied to construction and the built environment
These books dive into domain-specific applications, demonstrating how machine learning, computer vision, digital twins, and generative design are applied directly to project delivery, site management, and sustainable building.
Artificial Intelligence Applications for Sustainable Construction (Woodhead Publishing)
- Editors: Moncef L. Nehdi, Harish Chandra Arora, Krishna Kumar, Robertas Damaševičius, and Aman Kumar
- Key Focus: Civil engineering, sustainable materials, site safety, and structural monitoring.
- Why Read It: This text directly addresses how AI tools tackle modern construction challenges. Chapters cover practical machine-learning workflows for estimating embodied carbon, optimizing concrete mix designs, predicting schedule slippage, and automating visual site inspection. It is particularly valuable for commercial managers, structural engineers, and site managers seeking data-backed methods to improve environmental compliance and project margins.
Artificial Intelligence in Architecture and the Built Environment: The Revolution Yet to Come (Routledge / CRC Press (2025)
- Author: Michal Sourek
- Key Focus: Generative architectural design, reinforcement learning, and CAD/BIM integration.
- Why Read It: Sourek looks at the current gap between AI developments and practical implementation in the built environment. The book addresses the communication divide between software developers and design/construction teams, demonstrating how machine learning (such as reinforcement learning and dynamic CAD/BIM agents) can streamline early-stage design optioneering, space planning and buildability checks.
AI in Material Science: Revolutionizing Construction in the Age of Industry 4.0 Routledge (2024/2025)
- Authors: Saad Ammad and Rasheed Ahmad
- Key Focus: Smart materials, automated robotics, and digital fabrication.
- Why Read It: Focused on the physical side of construction, this volume explores how AI is reshaping building materials, supply chains, and on-site assembly. It details how machine learning is used to develop high-performance building materials, optimize structural strength, and interface with robotic fabrication on job sites. It is ideal reading for innovation leads, procurement heads, and technical directors looking at the future of off-site manufacturing and modern methods of construction (MMC)
The CIOB AI Playbook (2024)
This downloadable publication was written by members of CIOB’s Digital & Innovation Advisory Panel and provides you a set of insights and practical applications to using AI in your workplace. It looks at standards and governance as well as opportunities to use AI in practice and the relationship between AI and digital twinning.
Would you recommend books yous you have found useful in building your knowledge and experience in AI? Let us know at [email protected]
