‘AI can save time and money in all phases.’
Armin Cosic is AI Engineer at Doka. In this interview, he reveals what his role title really means and what influence he attributes to artificial intelligence in the construction industry.
Armin, your job title says, ‘Data Scientist/AI Engineer’. What's behind it?
Armin Cosic (AC): As a Data Scientist/AI Engineer in the Business Process Automation (BPA) department at Doka, I mainly deal with the application of artificial intelligence in production, particularly in the areas of predictive maintenance and condition monitoring. My main tasks include the development of machine learning solutions that monitor the condition of our Framax grinding equipment in our St. Martin location. These solutions recognise maintenance requirements in time and identify anomalies in order to avoid breakdowns, production disruptions and material waste.
I am also increasingly focussing on the exciting field of Generative AI. As part of our Generative AI roadmap, for example, I am developing fine-tuned OpenAI models that help us to efficiently pre-select relevant projects for tender preparation. I also support various departments with advanced prompting techniques and work together with my colleagues on the development of AI-based chatbots for internal use.
What makes your job so exciting?
AC: The thematic diversity in my work is what particularly excites me. It allows me to work in different areas relating to AI and to keep my expertise up to date at all times. I appreciate the direct exchange with end users and various departments, building the cloud infrastructure - from data acquisition to real-time visualisation of forecasts and data - as well as developing and evaluating machine learning models. This wide range of tasks allows me to continuously learn new things and apply what I have learnt directly, which makes my working life extremely varied and exciting.
What role does AI play within Doka?
AC: It is extremely encouraging to see how Doka is proactively promoting the use of AI within the Group. Our company not only invests in AI technologies, but also regularly offers workshops on Generative AI and tools such as Microsoft Copilot to continuously expand our knowledge and make our daily work easier. In my view, this is anything but a matter of course. This openness and support enable us to stay technologically up to date and increase our productivity.
And now a rather bold prediction: how will AI change our working world in the next 5-10 years?
AC: It is generally difficult to make reliable predictions for such a long period of time, as new developments are constantly taking place, especially in the field of Generative AI. In my opinion, however, the technology will develop in the direction of personal AI assistants, especially if they can access a persistent ‘memory’ in the user context. Initially, these assistants will support us with routine and recurring tasks in our everyday working lives that are often perceived as tedious or time-consuming. Over time, they could take over increasingly complex workflows and eventually even entire processes.
What impact do you expect AI to have on the construction industry in general?
AC: In terms of the growing interest and strong demand from our engineering colleagues in the operational project business, I personally see great potential for the use of AI in construction project planning, particularly in the creation of initial 3D planning concepts with our formwork solutions. Generative AI can save time and costs in all phases of the project cycle - not only in the preparation of quotations, but also in other areas of construction project management, such as quotation calculation, supply chain coordination and subsequent quality control and risk minimisation. This could significantly speed up project handling and increase the efficiency of the entire industry.
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