Behind AI in Building Maintenance

In this episode, host David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Mike Talbot, CTO of SFG20, about the growing role of AI in building maintenance and compliance.

Mike shares how the Grenfell tragedy inspired his move into the built environment, leading efforts to apply AI, IoT, and predictive analytics to streamline maintenance scheduling, automate asset management, and support regulatory compliance.

The conversation explores both the opportunities—such as sensor-driven diagnostics, digital twins, and upskilling via natural language AI—and the risks, including hallucinations, ethical missteps, and overreliance on flawed data.

Mike stresses that while AI can dramatically boost efficiency, expert human oversight is essential in compliance-critical areas. Used responsibly, AI offers huge potential to modernise building maintenance—delivering safer, smarter outcomes across the built environment.