Subvolts take AI can finally boost construction productivity by automating pre-construction tasks and acting as a smart assistant. Jan 29, 2026 - Developers
- Learn how AI, particularly computer vision and agentic systems, can be applied to solve real-world construction challenges.
- Business
- Discover how automating pre-construction tasks can unlock significant efficiency gains and improve ROI in the construction industry.
This interview provides a practical look at AI's application in a major industry, focusing on real-world problem solving and efficiency gains.
#318 Olek Paraska: How AI Is Fixing the Biggest Bottleneck in Construction
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From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
Eye on AI episode #318 features Olek Paraska, CTO of Togal AI, discussing how AI can fix construction's biggest bottleneck: pre-construction. The conversation highlights AI's role in automating manual takeoff and estimating, improving the industry's stalled productivity. Paraska explains AI works best as a perception and reasoning layer, not a human replacement, respecting real-world constraints for ROI.
Construction productivity has lagged for decades because planning and estimating are done by hand. AI can automate these steps, like measuring materials from blueprints, freeing up people to focus on building. This helps construction companies save time and money.
This episode offers insights into applying AI to a notoriously low-digitization industry. It's for construction professionals, AI developers, and business leaders interested in operational efficiency. The discussion on computer vision and agentic AI in real-world applications connects to current frontier AI research in making models more practical and useful, moving beyond theoretical capabilities.
- HostCraig S. Smith
- GuestOlek ParaskaCTO, Togal AI
- Episode Title: Olek Paraska: How AI Is Fixing the Biggest Bottleneck in Construction
- Show: Eye on AI
- Guest: Olek Paraska, CTO of Togal AI
- Episode Length: 54 minutes
- Industry Issue: Construction productivity has barely improved in 50 years.
- Bottleneck Identified: Pre-construction phase, including manual estimating and takeoff work.
Construction is one of the least digitized industries in the world, and not because it resists technology. It resists bad technology.
In this episode of Eye on AI, Craig Smith sits down with Olek Paraska, CTO of Togal AI, to break down why construction productivity has barely improved in 50 years and why pre-construction is the real bottleneck holding the industry back.
Olek explains how most estimating and takeoff work is still done manually, why automating this phase can unlock massive efficiency gains, and how AI works best in construction when it acts as a perception and reasoning layer rather than a replacement for human judgment.
The conversation explores computer vision, agentic AI, human-in-the-loop systems, and why respecting real-world constraints is essential for AI to deliver real ROI. It also looks ahead to a future where floor plans, materials, costs, and constructability can be reasoned about together, long before construction begins.
This episode is a deep dive into how AI can finally move construction forward by solving the right problems, in the right order.
Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X: https://x.com/craigssEye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI (00:00) Why Construction Is Desperate for Better AI (01:06) Olek's Path From Software to Construction (02:17) Why Construction Productivity Has Stalled for Decades (04:33) The Pre-Construction Bottleneck No One Talks About (06:17) How Takeoffs Are Still Done Manually (09:15) Why Construction Rejects Bad Technology (11:18) How Togal Found the Right Problem to Solve (12:14) From Computer Vision to Reasoning AI (17:44) What Agentic AI Looks Like in Pre-Construction (20:59) Turning Floor Plans Into Materials and Costs (28:18) The Real ROI of AI for Contractors (47:11) The Long-Term Vision for AI in Construction
- Takeoff
- Olek Paraska
- The process of calculating the quantities of materials needed for a construction project from blueprints.
- Pre-construction
- Olek Paraska
- The phase of a construction project that occurs before actual building begins, including planning, estimating, and design.
- Computer vision
- Olek Paraska
- Technology that enables computers to 'see' and interpret images or videos, like reading blueprints.
- Agentic AI
- Olek Paraska
- AI systems that can act autonomously to achieve goals, making decisions and taking actions.
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WithAndrii Hrytseniuk
Questions people ask
- Why has construction productivity stalled for decades?
- Construction productivity has barely improved in 50 years because the industry has resisted bad technology. The pre-construction phase, in particular, remains a significant bottleneck.
- How can AI help the construction industry?
- AI can automate manual estimating and takeoff work, which are major parts of the pre-construction phase. This unlocks efficiency gains and helps move the industry forward.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Craig S. Smith.