The RICS AI Standard: What It Means for QSs and the Future of Professional Practice (EP 250)

For our 250th episode, we mark a major milestone for Own the Build with a special collaboration with the RICS and the Project Flux podcast. This conversation arrives at a pivotal moment: the RICS has just published its first-ever global professional standard for the responsible use of AI in surveying, coming into effect in March 2026.To unpack what this means for QSs, valuers, project professionals, software vendors and construction leaders, Paul is joined by three people who helped shape the standard:James Garner — Head of AI & Data at Gleeds, Chair of the Project Data Analytics Task Force, and host of Project Flux.Chris de Gruben — Senior Director & Head of AI at Artefact; co-chair of the RICS AI Working Group.Matthew Lavy — Barrister at 4 Pump Court specialising in technology disputes and AI liability.Across this wide-ranging, practical and occasionally provocative discussion, the panel explore:• Why the RICS created this standard nowMember demand, regulatory pressure, industry lag, and a cultural shift from “AI as a threat” to “AI as a professional tool”.• The core pillars of responsible AI useRisk registers, explainability, transparency to clients, PI considerations, shadow AI, enterprise-grade tools, and why “professional judgement” remains non-negotiable.• What AI will — and won’t — replaceFrom AVMs and automated cost analysis to complex valuation, negotiation, context, and human judgement.• The difference between enabling and restricting innovationWhy the RICS guidance is intentionally light-touch and principle-based, and how it avoids the rigidity of the EU AI Act.• What this means for QSs, valuers, employers, universities and software vendorsFuture training, AI literacy, cultural change, documentation, and how practitioners can protect themselves while accelerating adoption.• The future of surveying and construction in an AI-native worldAgentic workflows, robotics, quantum computing, and the real-world impact on productivity, risk, client expectations and professional identity.This is a landmark conversation at a turning point for the profession. If you want clarity on how AI will shape surveying, cost management and construction over the next five years — and what you should do in 2026 — this is essential listening.---------------------------------📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial SuccessFor our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads.Send us Fan MailWant to connect with Paul?Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] or through, C-Link. C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.