The Nemetschek Group has announced a new groupwide vision for AI in its product portfolio of solutions from its daughter companies. The Munich, Germany-based AEC software giant had previously announced its new AI Innovation Hub back in May of this year. That group is led by two top leaders in AI, formerly from Google—Charles Sheridan, Chief AI and Data Officer, and Julian Geiger, VP of AI Products and Transformation.
This latest announcement discusses a new “AI layer” that will be common to and available within all Group products and operate numerous user requests that tap into the power of artificial intelligence.
New AI Layer
“Our goal is to empower architects, engineers, contractors, and building managers by providing them with tools that expand their expertise,” says Yves Padrines, CEO of the Nemetschek Group. “We believe that human intelligence, paired with advanced artificial intelligence, can push boundaries. By integrating the new artificial intelligence layer into our key solutions, we aim to unlock new possibilities and revolutionize workflow efficiency.”
A new AI layer will be embedded across Group products by 2025.
The new AI layer will be embedded in all of the Group’s major solutions starting in 2025. The AI layer is set to revolutionize how AEC professionals work on both the creative and productivity levels by offering new tools that simplify complex tasks and power creativity. The new AI technology layer will operate in the following three ways:
- Intelligent Automation — will offer automated task execution, adaptive project management, and natural language interaction, simplifying even the most complex tasks
- Insight-driven decision-making — helps users achieve AI-powered data insights not possible without the aid of AI and they will guide design processes and optimize decision-making.
- Design augmentation — allows AI to assist in design iterations, pattern creation, and scenario simulations, powering more innovative and creative outcomes for AEC projects.
The modular AI layer will also include collaboration tools and empower AEC stakeholder interactions throughout the product lifecycle.
“We are excited to introduce an AI-powered layer that will be integrated across all our brands and products, bringing new levels of intelligence and automation to our entire ecosystem, says Julian Geiger, VP Head of AI Product and Transformation, Nemetschek Group. “Our intention is simple: We aim to make creativity more creative and productivity more productive. By embedding AI into our offerings, we are enabling more efficient workflows, more precise decision-making, and more personalized experiences that empower professionals to do their best work.”
Ethical AI at Nemetschek
The Group’s vision of AI focuses on ethics and trustworthiness in data privacy, transparency, and reliability. Before the AI layer goes live, Nemetschek will undergo rigorous testing and validation under human oversight.
“As a leading software provider in the AEC/O industry, we are dedicated to ensuring that our AI technologies are developed ethically, prioritizing transparency, fairness, and accountability, says Charlie Sheridan, Chief AI and Data Officer, Nemetschek Group. “We are committed to creating AI systems that are explainable and free from bias, promoting inclusivity for all users. Privacy and data security are at the core of our AI initiatives, and we implement strong safeguards to protect sensitive information.”
Architosh Analysis and Commentary
Last week, Architosh was in Budapest, Hungary, for Graphisoft’s launch event for the latest Archicad, BIMx, DDSCad, and other solutions. The press-only invited event enabled leading AEC software industry journalists to have one-on-one meetings with Graphisoft executives and team members, as well as a live-web global press conference. It was during one of the interviews that we learned that the AI team at the Nemetshek Group level is aided by one key AI leader for each daughter company.
This means that the AI Innovation Hub team led by Sheridan and Geiger includes key AI leadership from Graphisoft, Vectorworks, Allplan, Bluebeam, and other Group companies. Thus, AI vision isn’t entirely top-down at the group level but is actually distributed with critical input from the daughter companies themselves.
There is also a new policy within the Group to prevent replication of work. If a key innovation takes place at a daughter company and it has major value across the entire Group, such that other daughter companies are seeking to produce a similar feature or technology, the originating company will be asked to share that work. At the Nemetschek level, duplication of efforts is now seen as inefficient and something to avoid. A first example of this policy change is AI Visualizer, which is active in all the Group’s BIM solutions.