Photo By Alexandra Broughton | Artificial intelligence is reshaping how Air Force Civil Engineers operate, shifting...... read more read more
Subscribe
Across the globe and throughout every industry and sector, the impact of artificial intelligence is evident. For Air Force Civil Engineers, the focus is shifting from exploring AI’s potential to applying it where it can make an immediate impact, including streamlining workflows, improving operational efficiency, and enabling Airmen Civil Engineers to focus on mission-critical work.
Leveraging AI in day-to-day operations was a central theme of this year’s Requirements Development Workshop, hosted by Headquarters Air Force A4C from May 6-8, with several keynote briefings focused on the topic. Two featured sessions, “Future Lab: Beyond AI, What’s Next for Air Force Civil Engineering?” and “Work Smarter, Not Harder: Unlocking Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, were led by Col. Brad Ledford, Deputy Director of Facility Engineering at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, and Dr. Cigdem Meek, AI subject matter expert in AFCEC’s Technical Services Division. The sessions focused on how AI agents are being developed to accelerate infrastructure delivery and improve cost estimation, as well as efforts to upskill AFCEC engineers through training with MIT, Air Force Research Laboratory, and other sources to save time in daily operations.
Artificial intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence by machines, including the ability to learn, reason, and use language. Tools like machine learning and deep learning analyze large volumes of data to support faster and more accurate decision-making.
Ledford underscored how the need for smarter, faster solutions has never been more critical as infrastructure demands have grown in both scale and urgency. Traditional planning and programming methods, while disciplined, often take years, mismatched with mission timelines that demand greater flexibility and speed. From initial planning and requirements development through completion of construction, Ledford said the typical project lifecycle is currently seven to 10 years. “There’re a little over 4,300 projects marching down that path right now with about a $78 billion price tag,” he shared, noting the only way to accomplish the robust pipeline of critical infrastructure projects at the speed of relevance is to employ advanced technology solutions. “If we want something we’ve never had before, we have to do something we’ve never done before.”
There is a growing emphasis to include more adaptive, technology-assisted, and data-driven approaches to project planning and delivery within the civil engineering field. AI is at the center of the evolution, with both an emphasis on automating workflows, and reshaping how engineers interact with fragmented systems and incomplete data to make faster, more informed decisions.
Ledford pointed to a small-scale pilot project already underway to develop an AI tool capable of generating project scopes and class-level cost estimates in weeks rather than months. The goal is to reach a PCR-2 level of project definition with a class 3 estimate in a fraction of the typical timeline, reducing inconsistencies and minimizing late-stage changes that often disrupt execution.
The encouraged adoption of AI isn’t about replacing engineers or the work they do, but about giving them tools to scope better, faster, and with greater clarity from the start. “How do we free up time so engineers can get back to doing what only engineers can do?” Ledford asked during his session.
NIPRGPT, built specifically for use on government networks, can assist with drafting communications, summarizing technical documents, generating project outlines, and more. With effective prompt crafting, engineers can reduce hours of work to minutes, freeing up capacity to focus on analysis, strategy, and mission execution. Even small gains, like reducing the time spent creating slides or early project documentation, can ultimately translate into thousands of hours saved across the enterprise.
AI literacy is foundational to putting these capabilities into practice. Meek emphasized, “The future belongs to those who know how to work with AI, not against it.” To support that shift, AFCEC has launched a comprehensive AI literacy initiative, backed by DOD-wide tools and academic partners. Engineers have access to curated resources through the AFCEC AI SharePoint portal, including onboarding guides, prompt libraries, and responsible-use training modules.
“Civil Engineering is generating more data than ever before,” Meek said. “Data alone is not enough. We need intelligent tools that extract meaningful insight and transform data into actionable knowledge.”
Engineers are encouraged to explore simple, daily-use cases like writing bullets, summarizing guidance, or translating policy language. These efforts are complemented by broader work to centralize civil engineer data in the Air Force cloud, improve tool integration, and prepare the workforce to adopt more tools like Microsoft Copilot as they become available.
AI is not a silver bullet, but a powerful enabler when applied with clear intent and judgment. Its impact will come not from speculative advances, but from practical, aligned use cases that improve efficiency, reduce rework, and enhance consistency across the enterprise. As RDW shined light on, AI is already here. The next step is to master how to work with it—intentionally, strategically, and with mission in mind.
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.25.2025 10:51 |
| Story ID: | 501468 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, RDW 2025: AI Tools Helping CE Teams Work Smarter, Not Harder, by Alexandra Broughton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
