Google innovation head urges real estate to ‘stay grounded’ over AI

Google’s head of innovation has urged the real estate sector to “stay grounded” in the age of machine learning and to question, challenge and scrutinise the power of artificial intelligence. Speaking at the Proptech Connect conference, Alfred Biehler warned that blindly relying on AI is a risky business. “When you put a sum correctly into a calculator you get an answer and there is no question over whether it is right,” he said. “The world of machine learning is not like that. It is based on probabilities and statistics. The answers it produces may or may not be right. It is up to us to judge.” He added that the power of human intelligence, or HI, is crucial in an industry such as real estate, where problems have tangible effects on the world. “It is incredibly important you challenge AI,” he added. “Question it and always ask yourself ‘is this real and is this the right thing to do?’” Biehler said although AI is useful when it comes to making predictions and detecting anomalies, human intelligence will have the most impact when it comes to tackling challenges including climate change, energy costs and smart buildings. “We need to use our brains more. Learn more. And I want to say too that nobody on this planet is geared up for what is coming next more than you as an industry. No one has access to the answers like you do,” he said. One of the blockers to learning and problem solving is a “culture of not listening to others” said Biehler. That has been exacerbated as people’s networks were diminished during and since the Covid-19 crisis. “People are the essence of what you do every day,” he added. “Without people, buildings would be useless. “But the number of people in our networks shrunk dramatically during the pandemic. We need to change that. Speak to your colleagues, listen to them. I know there is healthy competition between companies and businesses. That’s a good thing. But I urge you not to let it stop you from having conversations, finding areas where you can work together and learn from others. We will be able to solve so many more problems if we do that. Invest in human intelligence.” To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@eg.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @EGPropertyNews