AI Can’t Replace a Trade…
AI Can’t Replace a Trade.
AI is changing the world of work. Property services included.
We should be honest about that, and equally honest about what it can’t do.
Buildings don’t maintain themselves; walls can’t diagnose why they are damp; taps don’t know why they are leaking and windows don’t paint themselves.
And when something fails, an algorithm doesn’t turn up to fix it. Skilled people do.
In a Goldman Sachs’ report on AI’s impact on the labour market. They suggest that whilst AI will impact all markets, the construction and building maintenance sectors will be amongst the sectors least effected.
That’s why we want to embrace technology to support the industry. It can improve planning, insight and efficiency. But it will never replace the experience, judgement and accountability that tradespeople bring to real-world environments. Property services is, and for the foreseeable future will be, human-led.
This isn’t about nostalgia for “how things used to be”. It’s about reality.
Trades aren’t a collection of repeatable tasks waiting to be automated. They demand decision-making under pressure, responsibility for safety and compliance, and an understanding of buildings that only comes from time on the tools. No model, however advanced, can replicate that.
The real issue facing our industry isn’t automation, it’s the skills gap.
An ageing workforce; growing demand; more complex buildings. More regulation. More pressure to decarbonise and retrofit at pace. At the same time, too few people are coming through with the practical skills needed to keep buildings safe, compliant and operational.
That’s the risk we should be talking about. If we fail to invest in them, no amount of technology will fill the gap.
That’s why apprenticeships matter more than ever.
They are the backbone of its future. They create capability, not just credentials. They build judgement, pride and professionalism. They connect modern technology with real craftsmanship, which is exactly what this industry needs.
This National Apprenticeship Week, the message is simple. AI will continue to evolve. Tools will get smarter. Systems will improve.
But property services Needs You!
