Summary
In this live-recorded episode of The Blueprint Tour, captured at the IIBEC Metro New York Chapter’s Building Smarter with AI conference, hosts Kenneth Shultz and Carter Huddleston sit down with Daniel Calabro, Co-founder of Ferris, to explore how artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape engineering and construction workflows.
Daniel shares his journey from structural engineering, working on high-rise design and large-scale infrastructure projects, to building Ferris, a platform focused on creating custom AI-driven tools for engineering and construction firms. The conversation dives into the reality that many firms still lack a defined AI strategy, despite the low barrier to entry and rapidly growing capabilities of modern AI tools.
The discussion covers practical applications of AI in engineering, including transforming decades of hand calculations into reusable digital tools, improving workflows through intelligent automation, and enabling engineers to interact with complex datasets more efficiently. The group also examines the limitations of AI, including hallucinations, and how engineers can balance prompting with verification to ensure accuracy.
Looking ahead, Daniel introduces the idea of “personifying” infrastructure, where engineers could interact directly with buildings, systems, and designs through AI-driven interfaces. But as capabilities grow, so do concerns.
The episode ultimately centers on a critical question: as AI becomes more involved in engineering decisions, how should responsibility and liability be handled?
Candid, forward-looking, and grounded in real-world experience, this episode explores both the opportunities and the risks of integrating AI into engineering practice.
“Three out of four firms I talk to have no AI strategy.”
Keywords
Artificial intelligence, AI in engineering, construction technology, AEC industry, engineering workflows, AI strategy, Ferris, Daniel Calabro, PermitZIP, Kenneth Shultz, Carter Huddleston, building smarter with AI, IIBEC, engineering automation, AI hallucinations, AI liability, digital engineering tools, structural engineering, engineering software, future of construction
“If a building collapses, are we holding servers accountable or a person?”
Takeaways
Many engineering and construction firms still lack a clear AI strategy despite increasing industry awareness.
AI can transform decades of engineering knowledge, such as hand calculations, into scalable, reusable tools.
The barrier to entry for using AI tools is low, but effective usage requires thoughtful prompting and verification.
AI hallucinations remain a concern, but human error and bias are also significant factors in engineering workflows.
Future applications may allow engineers to interact directly with buildings and systems through AI-driven interfaces.
AI-assisted workflows can improve efficiency, but they must be designed to support, not replace, engineering judgment.
Liability and responsibility will become central issues as AI becomes more integrated into engineering decision-making.
“I can take 20 years of calculations and turn them into something everyone can use.”
Chapters
Welcome to The Blueprint Tour
Meet Daniel Calabro and the Origin of Ferris
AI Adoption in Engineering Firms
Low Barrier to Entry: Getting Started with AI
Turning Hand Calculations into Digital Tools
AI Hallucinations and Trust in Engineering
Prompting, Verification, and Workflow Integration
The Future: Talking to Buildings and Infrastructure
AI Liability and Responsibility in Engineering
Final Thoughts on Building the Future with AI
“How often do humans hallucinate?”
