AI Resilience Report forConstruction and Related Workers, All Other

If your job includes cleaning sites, moving materials, and helping skilled workers, you're probably wondering whether robots are about to take over. The honest answer is: some of that work is starting to be automated, but a lot of it still needs human hands. A new industry benchmarking report shows that contractor use of jobsite robotics jumped from 29% in 2025 to 79% in 2026 ^[1], with FieldAI, Boston Dynamics and Dusty Robotics receiving the highest marks for adoption and pilot deployments.

These robots handle things like layout marking, material transport, and repetitive lifting — tasks that overlap with helper work. However, McKinsey researchers note that AI has the potential to automate 39% of nonphysical work in the construction sector ^[2], and using autonomous construction equipment on the jobsite is a "long-term" goal beyond four years. In other words, the messy, unpredictable physical parts of helping on a site — adapting to weather, uneven ground, and last-minute changes — are still hard for machines.

Adoption is speeding up, but slowly for hands-on labor. The Associated General Contractors of America's 2026 Outlook ^[3] reports that firms are increasing AI investment while dealing with tariffs, immigration enforcement, and trouble finding qualified workers — meaning contractors want tech to fill labor gaps, not replace workers who are already scarce. A Deltek survey found that about 90% of respondents said they are using or planning to use AI in at least one business function in 2026, though only 5% considered their organizations fully mature in AI implementation ^[4], showing that most adoption is still in early stages.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of construction laborers and helpers to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 137,000 openings each year ^[5]. Cost is another brake: jobsite robots are expensive to buy, program, and maintain compared to entry-level wages, so most companies use them to augment crews rather than replace helpers. Human judgment, teamwork, safety awareness, and the ability to pivot when a plan changes remain highly valuable — and workers who learn to operate or work alongside these new tools will be in an especially strong position.