AI Report from the ACEC Research Institute
The ACEC Research Institute released the latest Firm of the Future study, Leading Through AI Risk: The Enterprise Framework for Engineering Firm Leaders. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in engineering practice, firms face new opportunities to improve productivity, decision-making and client value — but also new risks that extend far beyond the technology itself. The ACEC Research Institute’s Leading Through AI Risk: The Enterprise Framework for Engineering Firm Leaders provides firm leaders with a practical framework for identifying and managing AI-related risks across eight interconnected areas, including professional liability and standard of care, data governance and intellectual property, workforce development, cybersecurity, financial and business model risk, and enterprise governance.
Drawing on research and interviews with leaders across the engineering ecosystem, the report emphasizes that AI risk is not simply an IT issue; it requires coordinated leadership across the entire firm. The report offers engineering leaders a roadmap for adopting AI responsibly while protecting clients, preserving professional standards and positioning their firms to capture the opportunities AI creates. The report was released in conjunction with the Institute’s Future of Engineering Roundtable, Managing AI When You Don’t Understand Its Risks, moderated by Joe Bates and featuring Jim Compton, Chief Technology Officer at ESP Associates, and Emily Honerbrink, Principal and Director of Artificial Intelligence at Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.