AI is coming to construction sites. But does it make workers safer?

When Shelley Copsey was appointed by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, one of the world's biggest infrastructure investors, her job was to find ways to use technology to solve problems across its portfolio. She quickly learned that there were persistent problems facing front-line workers.Four years later, Copsey is CEO of FYLD, a London-headquartered software company that uses artificial intelligence to support workers in construction, utilities and infrastructure. It comes as AI plays an increasingly important role in some of the most physically demanding jobs, from maintaining roads and railways to working on construction sites.The aim is to reduce both paperwork — and accidents.Tunvarat Pruksachat | Moment | Getty ImagesAccording to Copsey, when fieldwork goes wrong, attention usually turns to budgets or cash flow."We always go to the back office and we're like: oh, if we could help them forecast the job better, maybe this wouldn't be a problem," she told CNBC. "I think that what nobody ever did was just sit and say: well, what goes on in those field workers' lives and how do we make the life of the front line easier?"Planning with AIFYLD uses AI to predict which permits a pro...