A new safety frontier

By Emma Peterson. 

Denver Riggleman dives into how AI can be a lifesaving tool — and why improper use could expose sensitive business data.  

When we talk about AI, most conversations focus on the type of business management tasks it can manage. What is often overlooked is how AI can play a role in maximizing safety, on both sides of the coin. To learn more about the safety benefits and risks posed by AI, Heidi J. Ellsworth and Denver Riggleman sat down for an episode of Contractor Outlook Newscast all about AI.  

Denver is the co-founder and CEO of Hootl, a healthcare company that uses an AI model to improve the insurance workflows and reduce the number of denials. Prior to this, he worked in military intelligence, government and tech entrepreneurship. These experiences have given Denver a unique and informed perspective on both the benefits and risks of AI.  

Safety benefits 

Denver started the conversation talking about how AI can be used to improve safety regulations and measures, explaining, “AI can be used in tandem with cameras to help keep crews on the roof accountable...In a few years, I bet contractors could put up a two-camera mast on a tower on a building site with PPE detection quantified. It will automatically alert if it senses no PPE.” Would this be a perfect system? No, nothing is perfect. But Denver is the first to point out that you would still need a site manager to review for false alerts. But, as he put it, “Better false than dead.”   

Cybersecurity concerns 

While AI has the potential to save lives in terms of increasing use of PPE on job sites, it does come with its own risks. And, while not physical, cybersecurity is a huge concern. For one, most AI engines like Claude or ChatGPT are public. This means that information put into them is accessible to anyone else using the program.  

So, what should contractors who want to use AI do to make sure they are being safe? The first and most important thing is to have a cybersecurity training plan in place. Denver explained:  

You need to have somebody who looks at security of how every person at your company is using AI...From there, you need an AI trainer, someone who makes sure that everyone is using AI properly. For example, you don’t want to just get a personal ChatGPT account and start putting in proposal information from your company. That's public data and that data is actually parsed by the AI to utilize for other people. You need to have your own separate platform or program. AI trainers can help you get that. 

Overall, AI is a powerful, powerful tool. But it is just that, a tool. And like any tool, it comes with pros and cons. The key to successfully moving forward is knowing how to effectively leverage its benefits and minimize its downsides.  

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording with Denver to learn more about integrating AI in a safe manner.