AI in the survey process: what it means for you

Most people have a view on artificial intelligence these days, and it's not always a comfortable one. Students using it to write essays, chatbots generating content nobody checks properly, worries about where it all ends up. The unease is understandable.

But strip away the noise and AI is, at its core, a tool for doing repetitive, detail-heavy work faster than a person can. That's exactly why it's started showing up in the survey process, and it's worth knowing what it's actually doing when it does.

When a chartered surveyor visits a property, they take photographs, measurements and notes on everything from roof coverings to signs of damp. AI can now be used to review those images alongside the surveyor, picking out details that might be easy to miss on a first pass, a hairline crack, an early sign of movement, a pattern across several photos that points to a bigger issue.

It's a similar principle to how AI is used in hospitals to review scans: it doesn't replace the person reading the results, it gives them a faster first look so they can focus their time where it matters most.

For a survey firm handling a steady flow of reports, that speed matters. But speed is only useful if it's reliable.

AI has to be taught what to look for, and that takes time and expertise from the people training it. Whatever it flags still needs to be checked by a qualified surveyor before it goes anywhere near your report.

RICS, the body that sets the standards chartered surveyors work to, has published its first formal standard on responsible AI use. It covers governance, transparency with clients, and the surveyor's continued accountability for everything in the final report, whether or not AI played a part in producing it.

That accountability is the part that matters most if you're the one buying the property. When your surveyor signs a report, they're putting their name to it. AI might help them get there faster, but it doesn't change who's responsible for what's in it.

Booking a RICS accredited surveyor, like the ones on Surveyor Local's panel, means you're covered either way. If AI is used as part of the process, it's used to support a qualified professional's judgement, not to replace it, and it's held to the same standards RICS sets for every other part of the job.

You're buying peace of mind and clear information to guide your decision on the property. That doesn't change whatever tools sit behind the scenes.

Surveyor Local connects you to the best professional advice through our nationwide panel of chartered surveyors, all RICS members. They'll work hard to identify all kinds of problems, including the impact of prior flooding on a property's structure.

Call to get your no-obligation survey quote started, or to talk through any concerns about the property you're planning to buy. Or get a quick quote using our easy-to-use quote generator.