Construction Doesn't Have a Building Problem It Has an Information Problem

Construction and AEC leaders -You've been told the industry's biggest problem is building faster and cheaper. Patrick Murphy says that's wrong. The real problem is information - and it's been hiding in plain sight.

Patrick Murphy joins Ryan Ware on Activating Curiosity to unpack why construction's decades-long productivity struggle isn't about labor, materials, or technique. It's about the chaos between the lines: estimating that takes months, preconstruction gaps that cascade into site-level disasters, and an industry that starts from scratch on every single project.

Patrick Murphy is founder and CEO of Togal.AI and CodeComply.AI, Chief Innovation Officer at Coastal Construction (Florida's largest general contractor), a former U.S. Congressman, and a CPA. Raised in a multigenerational construction family, he began his career as a laborer before moving through project engineering, estimating, and accounting. In 2023, he was appointed to the President's Export Council as the sole representative from the construction industry.

What you'll learn:
• Construction's "information problem" disguised as a "building problem"
• How AI is transforming construction estimating and preconstruction
• Why human control is essential for AI adoption and trust
• How repetitive work blocks high-value thinking for construction professionals
• The link between time, inefficiency, and rising construction costs
• How faster preconstruction and project delivery could impact housing affordability
• AI's potential to create opportunities for people to do more building, creating, and problem-solving
• How technology, offsite construction, new materials, and new work methods could reshape the industry in the next decade
• The ultimate human-centric nature of construction technology

The shift: This episode reframes the entire AI-in-construction conversation. It's not about automation replacing people. It's about removing the information drag so architects design, builders build, estimators think in 3D, and the industry stops settling for what Patrick calls "white boxes that suck and are boring.

Who this is for: AEC and construction leaders, architects, engineers, contractors, estimators, preconstruction professionals, trade contractors, developers, construction technology leaders, and anyone tracking the intersection of AI, productivity, and the future of the built environment.

Subscribe to Activating Curiosity for more conversations that help AEC leaders navigate change with clarity and confidence.

https://www.activatingcuriosity.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankware/
https://connectiveconsultinggrp.com/