AI and the ACA
I know for many practices, the question isn’t if you’ll use AI, but how. How can it be used in ways that work for you as architects and business owners? How do we adopt it in ways that genuinely help our businesses? How do we make it efficient, safe and ethical without losing the integrity of our profession?
At the ACA, we are also grappling with these questions and are finding ways to address them meaningfully for ourselves as an Association and for you as members. This year we’ve been rolling out a number of initiatives:
- CPD webinars to explore what AI means for architects in practice.
- Our Arch_Manu research partnership, which is diving deep into how AI and digital innovation intersect with sustainability and the future of practice.
- A brand-new AI HR policy template to help you manage AI responsibly in your workplace.
- The pilot of the ACA Business Concierge, our own AI-enabled tool designed to give you quick, tailored access to resources and guidance behind the ACA paywall.
- And because safety is paramount, we’ve partnered with Cyber Wardens to bring you free Safe AI training.
AI is not something we can ignore. But if we approach it thoughtfully, it has real potential to enhance creativity, streamline our work, and strengthen practice operations. Personally, I think we need to treat AI like any other professional tool. It can be powerful and valuable, but only ethical when guided by human judgment. That’s on us.
The ACA will continue to lead this conversation with you, making sure architects are not only keeping up, but shaping how AI is used in practice.
So, I’d love to hear from you. How are you and your teams already using AI in your work? What’s working and what feels challenging? Your experiences will help us shape relevant support and resources and feed into the Arch_Manu research project. Get in touch at national@aca.org.au.