Infrastructure Leaders Call for Better Data Foundations to Unlock AI Potential

Industry leaders has emphasized that modernizing infrastructure requires moving beyond one-time data collection toward integrated, operational intelligence that can guide decision-making throughout a project’s entire lifecycle.

The note was shared at the recent Transforming Infrastructure Performance (TIP) NYC Summit 2026, where infrastructure experts, investors, and public officials gathered to address a critical bottleneck in U.S. modernization: the lack of timely, trusted, and actionable data.

Bentley Systems’ Infrastructure Policy Advancement team, which organized the summit, highlighted that infrastructure success is currently hampered by fragmented information and the absence of standardized data.

Without consistent data structures and shared information, advanced technologies like artificial intelligence struggle to provide reliable insights. Industry experts noted that while AI offers transformative potential for productivity, design, and visualization, it remains dependent on high-quality input and human oversight to ensure accuracy and safety.

Senior Vice President for public policy at Stantec, David Goldwater, first on the right, told an AI panel that the “technology could be transformative for the sector, provided it comes with quality control and human oversight.”

The adoption of Bentley Systems’ software is playing a key role in overcoming these challenges by enabling teams to create better data foundations. By leveraging these digital tools, organizations can capture subsurface data early, streamline complex permitting processes, and improve public communication through rapid 3D modeling and visualization.

Furthermore, the software facilitates the shift toward operational intelligence, allowing agencies to analyze asset maintenance records and predict project outcomes with greater confidence.

Ultimately, as the industry works to break down organizational silos, Bentley’s solutions provide the necessary framework to turn data into execution, ensuring that infrastructure investments are predictable, efficient, and capable of meeting modern demands.

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