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Looking forward into the future is a mug’s game: Peter Drucker compared it to “trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window”.

But Martyn Jones maintains that despite the challenge we need to at least make a fist of trying to answer the question: What does the future hold?

And one doesn’t need to be a renowned management guru to predict two of our shapers in 2026: The embedding of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) in our operating system, and the greater use of AI.

The BSR first. Their mission is to bring rigour, consistency, and accountability to construction, and few would dispute the need for that.

We will increasingly come to terms with the realisation that building safety is non-negotiable, with a regulator to uphold standards, deliver safe buildings, and ensure that construction products are fit for purpose.

Then, there’s the growing acceptance that their remit extends far beyond building control to promote competence across the built environment workforce.

And recent judgements have shown the BSR to have bite too, with those who don’t play by the rules already facing real consequences. Whist those who prioritise safety and quality in 2026, work collaboratively to build a system that prioritises safety, restoring trust and driving growth, will gain competitive advantage.

The current gaping gap between regulatory intention and practical delivery at Gateway 2 will close as the inspector capacity at the BSR is increased, along with much clearer submission requirements.

And government and industry will learn to work more closely together in improving standards, pushing for cultural change, and deploying the new competency framework to define and ensure the competence, skills, and behaviours of those working in the industry.

In 2026, the Government’s new Fast Track process and planned reforms to BSR oversight are steps in the right direction in easing the tension between safety and delivery. Then there’s the proposals to establish a single construction regulator to reduce fragmentation in how we are organised and regulated, and to drive culture change.

What about AI? There will be growing appreciation of its power. Tasks that previously took us hours are already quickly completed in front of our eyes.

So far, construction has been slow to adopt AI compared with other industries but inserting AI-powered assistance directly into our processes will increasingly help users write reports, analyse data, and draft tender documentation with a few simple prompts.

It will sound much less futuristic in 2026, as its value is demonstrated in very real and tangible ways when applied to everyday work, and even better when it is paired with modern construction software.

It will become more adept at analysing thousands of variables, including site conditions, historical data, and weather patterns, to optimise project planning and model construction sequences, flag design clashes, suggest more efficient build routes, support logistics by forecasting material usage, reducing waste, and helping site managers make informed decisions in real-time.

One of AI’s big strengths is pattern recognition. Construction projects are routinely delayed, but by anticipating risks and recognising patterns AI can highlight where overruns, health and safety breaches, or delays are likely to occur.

It will improve communication of complex ideas or situations to non-technical project stakeholders and between different specialisms, translating jargon-heavy outputs into clear summaries, breaking down and presenting complex information in a way that everyone can understand.

But it comes with some real concerns that we must take seriously, including in the past our overly cautious approach to embracing new technologies.

AI can generate content, but it doesn’t yet truly understand context. That means outputs still need to be reviewed by someone who understands people and the industry.

And understandably, there’s hesitancy in feeding sensitive data into AI tools, especially when the data could be stored externally or used to train models.

No one can know for certain how AI will evolve in the future but what it can do is already clear: speed up processes, reduce mundane tasks, support better decisions, and help teams

work smarter. Alongside this we have the BSR on a trajectory to change our behaviours and culture.