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Last Thursday (23 October) at the immersive Two Ton Max in North Melbourne, the ANZ HammerTech Community Event captured a clear shift in the industry: toward a future where AI, quality data, and safety culture work in unison to build safer, smarter, and better.
Keynote: Can GenAI Save Infrastructure?
Dr Rowan Braham, Predictive Analytics & AI Lead at Laing O’Rourke, opened the day with a thought-provoking deep dive into generative AI (GenAI) and some of construction’s biggest challenges: from declining productivity since the 1960s to a plateau in safety improvement despite decades of investment.
He explored how GenAI can help the industry shift from reactive to proactive risk management and the role of GenAI to unlock novel insights that truly move the needle.
From wearable sensors and “smart hats” that track biological signals to AI tools capable of surfacing trends buried in mountains of data, Dr Braham showed how technology and AI can deepen our understanding of behaviour, communication, and on-site decision-making.
But the human element remains central, he cautioned.
AI's success can be determined not by the technology itself but by how well site teams engage properly with insights gleaned — noting challenges such as alarm fatigue, where overexposure to AI-driven alerts can dilute critical safety signals.
Safety in Numbers
Data and AI were omni-present themes across the day. But how can data inform, not just measure, safety culture?
FEFO Consulting's Terry Swanton took the mic, providing insights from the Health & Safety Index sharing benchmark data specific to the construction industry.
This revealed the beliefs, behaviours, and leadership patterns that shape safety performance.
He proved that data can help organisations move from reactive to proactive improvements by highlighting what truly matters: engagement, accountability, and trust.
The Future of Construction is Digital/ Tech Spotlight
Kapitol Director Andrew Deveson didn’t mince his words.
Construction productivity, he said, has been “completely flat for 30 years,” with a consultant-led review at Kapitol highlighting that 36% of his team’s effort was being spent double-handling information.
For Andrew, the takeaway was simple: “The only way we could see to move the needle was to lean into being fully digital.”
That shift has seen Kapitol embrace AI at every level, from rolling out its powerful in-house AI KapGPT to giving every employee the ability to build custom GPTs and AI agents.
WATCH: Kapitol Uses Cutting-Edge Technology to Benefit Workforce, Industry
He then joined HammerTech Chief Product Officer Andrew Barron (below right) and Dr Braham to unpack how AI and emerging tech are redefining what’s possible in safety management and decision-making.
Dr Braham reflected how the next wave of AI tools is set to transform how the industry thinks, decides, and communicates — and why human judgment remains essential.
“If you’re conscious of, and are critically doubtful of what the AI is telling you, and you structure the way you’re working with AI meaningfully — you’re not just jacking it into your brain and saying ‘please control my life’ — you can have really deep, powerful, and fundamental conversations with an AI that can give you powerful insights into the decisions you should make.”
Andrew Barron added that AI alone can’t replace understanding.
“AI isn’t going to fix the problems. If anything it exposes them. It can help bridge some of that gap, but it still needs context and an understanding of the systems, processes, and decisions that have been made so it can help you make a better one.”
Compliance vs. Culture: Walking the Walk
Kicking off the afternoon's proceedings was Icon's Josephine Taylor, Group HSE Manager, who shared how genuine leadership visibility — not just process — drives real cultural change.
Her focus: making safety tools intuitive, accessible, and championed from the top down.
She described Icon’s executive team's hands-on approach, such as logging their own observations directly on site.
“Visibility matters. Being out there using HammerTech, leading by example, and showing consistent behaviours is what builds culture. When leaders walk the walk, it sends a message that safety isn’t just a checklist, it’s everyone’s responsibility.”
Smarter Workflows. Sharper Insights.
HammerTech’s Customer Success whizzes Simon Battersby and Marty Rodrigues had attendees covered on all things custom modules as the day progressed. Think guided set up tools and synced data reporting to keep the audience engaged.
And no HammerTech Community event would be complete without a product update.
Andrew Barron outlined the latest upgrade to HammerTech's AI suite HammerTech Intelligence, promising even greater speeds and clarity to site safety management.
Dive into the full product update HERE — from automated daily report summaries that compile weather, inspections, and incident data to natural-language search.
What's next?
The day underscored the strength of the HammerTech Community, a network of safety leaders, innovators, and builders all working toward a powerful common goal: to create safer, smarter job sites around the world.
A huge thank you to every customer, partner, and contributor who shared their experts insights and experiences. Your openness, collaboration, and shared learnings underpin a brighter, safer future for construction.
Onto the next...
