EVALUATING THE RECEPTIVENESS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TECHNOLOGIES IN SINGAPORE �S FACILITIES MANAGEMENT (FM) INDUSTRY

Abstract

In recent years, the Singapore Government has been introducing and emphasizing on the importance of a smart nation. While the government continues to encourage the adoption of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data through the implementation of initiatives and programmes, greater publicity is necessary to make these initiatives more effective. Despite the numerous research available on AI technologies, few studies have been done regarding AI technologies in Facilities Management (FM) industry even though it is expected that the technology will impact the FM industry the most (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), 2017). Hence, this paper focuses on the AI technology adoption in the FM industry by examining the potential AI technologies in FM industry and the barriers that influence the adoption, as well as, identify factors that could drive the adoption. Based on the analysis of literature review, survey data, interviews and case studies, it has been identified that many of the FM practitioners do not have a thorough understanding of the technology and some of the FM organization are still in the midst of developing the AI technology. Thus, it is vital for the government and the organizations to educate their people and the industry on the technology along with its pros and cons. By understanding the feasibility of the technology, the FM practitioners are expected to be more receptive towards the adoption. The data analysis has also indicated that the financial cost and returns play a huge factor in influencing the choice of AI adoption, where high capital has to be invested on training and research before the adoption. This could be minimized as the government introduces more initiatives to raise awareness and support organizations. Furthermore, the lack of successful AI cases resulted in reluctance of AI adoption by FM professionals and leaders. Therefore, more research and success cases are needed for the FM industry to fully embrace the AI technology. Finally, this study faced limitation in retrieving information regarding the technology which led to differences in views and relevancy of the information in Singapore industry.