How Kier Group’s Louisa Finlay is using Copilot to drive safety and productivity in the construction industry
Two years ago, Kier Group plc decided to embrace AI – with a little help from work friends and peers. Executives at the UK construction and infrastructure firm were excited by AI’s promise to boost productivity and enhance safety practices. But “some leaders were reticent because they were very busy and it is new technology,”…
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Summary
Kier Group, a UK construction firm, adopted Microsoft Copilot to boost productivity and safety, with 40% of its 11,000 employees now using it. Chief Operating Officer Louisa Finlay championed AI adoption through "prompt-a-thons" to ease concerns and encourage experimentation. Copilot assists with tasks like email prioritization, research, and drafting job descriptions. Kier is also developing AI agents for safety data analysis and site monitoring, emphasizing a "Human at the Helm" approach where AI supports, but does not replace, human oversight.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Kier's experience highlights how large enterprises can overcome AI adoption hesitancy by fostering a comfortable learning environment. By using "prompt-a-thons" and peer groups, they made AI accessible. This contrasts with more top-down or purely technical rollouts. The focus on "Human at the Helm" addresses common concerns about AI replacing jobs, positioning it as a supportive tool. Kier's development of specialized AI agents for safety data and site monitoring shows a move beyond general productivity tools towards industry-specific applications, a trend likely to grow across construction and other sectors.
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Questions people ask
- How did Kier encourage AI adoption?
- Kier used "prompt-a-thons" and fun prompts for leaders and influencers to encourage experimentation. They also used small peer groups for training, making it comfortable to ask questions.
- What is Kier's approach to AI in the workplace?
- Kier emphasizes a "Human at the Helm" approach, where AI supports employees but humans remain in control. They are developing AI agents for specific tasks like safety data analysis.
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Page generated Sep 3, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the story belongs to Microsoft Source.