The Future of Cities: Why Data and Trust are Crucial

• Proeksa Meas
• 29 March 2026
• Construction Focus
• 821 Views

High-tech tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are changing how we build our world, but they are only as good as the data they use and the people who use them. That was the big takeaway from Illuminate 2026, a major infrastructure conference held this week at Sydney’s Fullerton Hotel.

The event brought together over 500 engineers, government officials, and project managers to discuss a massive shift in how we build everything from highway tunnels to water mains.

For years, huge construction projects have suffered from “data silos,” where different teams have information that doesn’t talk to each other. Experts at the conference argued that for AI to actually work, this data needs to be connected.

Currently, years of valuable information often go to waste because it isn’t organized or shared properly. By connecting this data, teams can finally capitalize on the power of the information they already have.

A real-world example of this is Melbourne’s AU$20 billion North East Link project. Instead of relying on manual workers and endless email chains, the team used specialized software to automatically move 1,000 digital files every night. This shift is helping the government appreciate how important structured data is for reusing information rather than starting from scratch every time.

While many people use AI for writing or creative tasks, the conference highlighted that infrastructure AI is different because there is no room for error. You cannot “approximate” the safety limits of a bridge.

François Valois, an executive at Bentley Systems, explained that AI in engineering must be 100% precise. He envisions a future where “AI agents” do the heavy lifting, such as comparing hundreds of design options, so that human engineers can focus their energy on reviewing results and making the final, most important decisions.

Despite all the talk of high-tech software and automated systems, many experts agreed that human relationships are still the most important part of the job. Daniel Easter of the construction firm Acciona noted that while the data does what you need it to do, it is the trust built between people that truly lowers barriers. The consensus was clear: technology can build a digital map, but it takes face-to-face communication to ensure a project actually succeeds.

The Illuminate conference series now heads to Mumbai and Berlin this April to continue the global conversation on smarter building.

• Bentley
• AI
• ProjectWise
• Bentley Systems
• Illuminate 2026