Buildtech Consultancy Ltd / Version 1.0 / Last updated: 22 September 2026

AI Use & Transparency Policy

Who we are

Buildtech UK Ltd

Website: https://buildtechuk.co.uk

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or how we process your personal data, please contact us via the contact details provided on our website.

1. Purpose of this policy 

Buildtech Consultancy Ltd (“Buildtech”, “we”, “us” or “our”) recognises that artificial intelligence (“AI”) and AI-assisted technologies can provide valuable support in the delivery and administration of professional consultancy services.

We also recognise that the use of AI within the built environment and fire-safety sectors requires appropriate controls, particularly where information may contribute to decisions concerning building safety, fire risk, remediation or regulatory compliance.
This policy explains how Buildtech may use AI, the safeguards we apply, and the principles that govern its use within our business.

Our approach is based on a simple principle:

AI may support our work, but it does not replace competent professional judgement, appropriate evidence or human accountability.

2. Scope

This policy applies to the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies by Buildtech in connection with our business activities and professional services.

This may include the use of AI in relation to:

• research and information gathering;
• document preparation and drafting;
• reviewing and summarising information;
• data organisation and analysis;
• report structuring;
• administrative activities;
• meeting notes and transcription;
• correspondence;
• quality assurance;
• project management;
• technical research; and
• other supporting activities.

The level of control and human review applied will depend upon the nature of the task and the potential consequences of relying upon the information produced.

Uses which could materially influence professional fire-safety or building-safety services are subject to a higher level of review and verification.

3. Our principles for the use of AI

Buildtech’s use of AI is governed by the following principles.

• 3.1 Human responsibility
• Responsibility for the professional services provided by Buildtech remains with Buildtech and the competent individuals responsible for undertaking, reviewing and approving the work.
• Responsibility is not transferred to an AI system.
• Where AI has assisted with the preparation or analysis of information, the relevant Buildtech personnel remain responsible for determining whether that information is suitable to be relied upon.
• 3.2 Professional judgement
• AI is not treated as a substitute for professional knowledge, experience, competence or judgement.
• AI will not independently determine Buildtech’s final professional opinion on matters including:
• the level of fire risk within a building;
• the adequacy of fire precautions;
• the suitability of an evacuation strategy;
• the adequacy of compartmentation;
• the acceptability of external wall construction;
• the suitability of cavity barriers or fire-stopping arrangements;
• the compliance of construction work;
• the need for remediation;
• the adequacy of proposed remediation;
• the suitability of a product or construction system;
• the outcome of a Fire Risk Assessment;
• the outcome of a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls;
• an EWS1 assessment or classification; or
• any other material fire-safety or building-safety conclusion.
• AI may assist the competent person undertaking such work, but the professional conclusion remains a human decision.
• 3.3 Evidence-led decision making
• AI-generated information is not, in isolation, treated as evidence supporting a fire-safety assessment, compliance determination or remediation recommendation.
• Where a technical conclusion depends upon legislation, statutory guidance, British Standards, recognised industry guidance, certification, test evidence, assessments, manufacturer information, construction drawings or other authoritative material, Buildtech will seek to review and verify the relevant source information.
• Where adequate evidence cannot be obtained, any resulting uncertainty will be considered as part of the professional assessment.
• 3.4 Appropriate transparency
• We aim to be open about our use of AI.
• We do not seek to represent AI-generated analysis as independent professional expertise.
• Where AI is used in a way that materially contributes to the preparation or delivery of a professional service, Buildtech will consider whether that use should be communicated to the client, taking account of the nature of the service, contractual requirements, confidentiality obligations and the significance of the AI-assisted activity.
• Routine administrative use of AI which does not materially affect the professional service may not require specific disclosure.
• 3.5 Proportionality
• Not every use of AI carries the same level of risk.
• The controls applied by Buildtech will therefore be proportionate to the activity being undertaken.
• Using AI to improve the wording of an email, for example, does not carry the same level of professional risk as using AI to assist with analysis of a fire-safety issue.
• Higher-risk applications require greater human scrutiny, verification and oversight.contact form
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4. How Buildtech may use AI

Buildtech may use AI to assist with activities including:

Research

AI may be used to help identify potentially relevant legislation, standards, guidance, technical publications, research or other sources of information.

Relevant technical information will be verified against appropriate source material where it may influence our professional conclusions.

Document preparation

AI may assist with:

• report structure;
• drafting;
• editing;
• grammar and clarity;
• summarisation;
• formatting;
• preparation of schedules;
• preparation of correspondence; and
• converting technical observations into structured written material.

Any material technical content remains subject to human review.

Analysis and information management

AI may assist with organising, comparing or identifying patterns within information such as:

• inspection notes;
• photographic records;
• survey observations;
• construction information;
• drawings;
• specifications;
• reports;
• meeting records; and
• project documentation.

The results of such analysis are treated as supporting information and not automatically accepted as fact.

Administration and project delivery

AI may also be used for routine activities such as:

• meeting transcription;
• meeting summaries;
• task management;
• scheduling assistance;
• document searching;
• preparation of internal notes; and
• general business administration.

5. Use of AI in fire-safety consultancy

Fire-safety consultancy can involve matters affecting the safety of buildings and their occupants. Buildtech therefore applies particular care where AI is used in connection with technical fire-safety work.

AI may assist our professionals in reviewing or organising information associated with services such as:

• Fire Risk Assessments;
• Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls;
• external wall investigations;
• EWS1 assessments;
• compartmentation surveys;
• fire-door inspections;
• technical reviews;
• remediation reviews;
• construction monitoring;
• technical oversight and auditing; and
• evidence and completion reviews.

However, AI will not be treated as the competent assessor. consent.

Where a service requires a suitably qualified or competent individual to undertake an assessment, exercise professional judgement or provide a professional opinion, that responsibility remains with the relevant person.

AI does not approve, certify or “sign off” building work on behalf of Buildtech.

6. Verification of AI-generated information

Generative AI systems can produce information which appears authoritative but is inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or unsupported.

They may also:

• misunderstand technical context;
• incorrectly interpret drawings or evidence;
• generate non-existent references;
• misquote legislation or standards;
• combine requirements from different editions of guidance;
• incorrectly attribute information;
• fail to identify important limitations; or
• present assumptions as established facts.

Buildtech personnel are therefore expected to exercise professional scepticism when working with AI-generated information.

Where information could materially affect a technical assessment, it should be checked against an appropriate primary or authoritative source wherever reasonably practicable.

AI output is not treated as a substitute for inspection evidence, test evidence, certification or other information required to support a professional conclusion.

7. Confidentiality and project information

Buildtech recognises its responsibility to protect confidential client and project information.

The fact that an AI system can accept information does not automatically mean that the information is appropriate to provide to that system.

Before confidential, commercially sensitive or personal information is processed using an AI-enabled system, consideration will be given to matters including:

• the purpose for which the information is being processed;
• the sensitivity of the information;
• contractual confidentiality requirements;
• the AI provider’s data-handling arrangements;
• whether information may be retained;
• whether information may be used for model training;
• access controls;
• security arrangements; and
• applicable data-protection requirements.

Where appropriate, information may be anonymised, redacted or minimised before being processed.

8. Personal data and data protection

Where AI systems process personal data, Buildtech will seek to ensure that such processing is undertaken consistently with applicable UK data-protection legislation and our Privacy Policy.

This includes consideration of principles such as:

• lawfulness, fairness and transparency;
• purpose limitation;
• data minimisation;
• accuracy;
• storage limitation;
• integrity and confidentiality; and
• accountability.

The use of AI does not remove our responsibilities in relation to personal data.

Where appropriate, Buildtech may undertake additional risk assessment before introducing AI systems that process personal data or could materially affect individuals.

9. Automated decision-making

Buildtech does not intend to use AI to make wholly autonomous decisions concerning material fire-safety, building-safety or professional consultancy matters without meaningful human involvement.

In particular, Buildtech does not rely solely upon automated AI processing to determine whether:

• a building is safe or unsafe;
• remediation is or is not required;
• a construction detail is acceptable;
• a fire-safety risk is tolerable;
• a particular EWS1 classification applies;
• works have been satisfactorily completed; or
• a professional recommendation should be issued.

Where AI is used to assist such work, meaningful professional review and judgement will remain part of the decision-making process.

10. Technical standards, regulations and guidance

AI systems do not necessarily have access to the most recent version of legislation, standards, guidance or other technical publications.

AI responses may also fail to distinguish between:

• statutory requirements;
• statutory guidance;
• British Standards;
• industry guidance;
• historic requirements;
• current requirements;
• recommendations;
• good practice; and
• professional opinion.

Buildtech therefore does not assume that a technical reference produced by an AI system is correct simply because it appears credible.

Where a reference is material to our assessment or advice, the underlying source should be checked as appropriate to the circumstances.

11. Professional competence

Personnel using AI in connection with professional work must retain sufficient knowledge and competence to assess the reliability and relevance of the resulting output.

AI should not be used to undertake work which the person using it would otherwise be unable to understand, evaluate or appropriately review.

AI is intended to augment professional capability rather than bypass competence requirements.

Where specialist expertise is required, the appropriate competent professional should be consulted.

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12. Bias and limitations

AI systems may reflect limitations or biases within:

• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
• Request access to your personal data
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information where appropriate
• Restrict or object to certain processing
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

Buildtech will consider these limitations where they may affect the reliability of an output.

Professional conclusions should be based upon relevant evidence and the circumstances of the particular building or project rather than assumptions generated by an AI system.

13. Third-party AI systems

Buildtech may use AI functionality provided by third-party software and technology providers.

The availability or inclusion of an AI function within commercial software does not automatically mean that it is suitable for every type of information or professional activity.

Buildtech may therefore assess factors including:

• the purpose of the system;
• its known limitations;
• security;
• confidentiality;
• data processing arrangements;
• reliability;
• appropriate human oversight; and
• the potential consequences of incorrect output.

Where an AI system is considered unsuitable for a particular task or category of information, it should not be used for that purpose.

14. Client requirements and restrictions

We recognise that some clients may have their own policies or contractual requirements concerning the use of AI.

Where such requirements have been communicated to Buildtech, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that they are considered as part of our service delivery.

Where a client has particular concerns or restrictions regarding the use of AI in connection with their project, these should be communicated to us at the earliest opportunity so that they can be considered before relevant work is undertaken.

Certain AI-assisted processes may be integral to normal business software or administrative systems. Where a client requests restrictions on AI use, Buildtech will consider the request and advise where any practical limitations exist.

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15. Intellectual property

The use of AI does not remove the need to respect intellectual property rights.

Buildtech personnel should take reasonable care when using AI-generated or AI-assisted material to avoid inappropriate reproduction of third-party intellectual property.

Where external material is required to support technical work, appropriate source documentation should be obtained and referenced where necessary.

16. Responsibility for published material

AI may assist in the preparation of material published by Buildtech, including website content, articles, technical commentary and marketing material.

Buildtech remains responsible for material that it publishes.

Where AI has been used to assist with content preparation, the content may be edited, reviewed and amended by Buildtech before publication.

Publication by Buildtech should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any underlying AI system or AI provider.

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17. Quality assurance

AI-assisted professional work remains subject to Buildtech’s normal quality assurance processes.

The level of review will be appropriate to the nature and significance of the work.

Where AI has materially contributed to technical analysis, the reviewing professional should consider whether:

• the input information was appropriate;
• relevant evidence has been considered;
• important assumptions are apparent;
• source references have been verified;
• the output is technically credible;
• the conclusions are supported by evidence; and
• further professional review is necessary.

18. Accountability

AI is a tool.

Buildtech remains responsible for the services that we provide in accordance with our agreed scope of appointment and terms of engagement.

Nothing within this policy is intended to extend Buildtech’s contractual duties beyond the services for which we have been appointed.

It cannot accept professional responsibility on behalf of Buildtech and it cannot replace the accountability of the individuals responsible for delivering our professional services.

19. Regulatory and professional developments

Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly, as are the legal, regulatory and professional frameworks governing its use.

Buildtech will review its approach to AI periodically and may update this policy to reflect:

• changes in legislation;
• regulatory guidance;
• professional standards;
• technological developments;
• industry practice;
• experience gained from the use of AI; and
• changes to the services we provide.

Our approach has regard to developing UK data-protection requirements and relevant professional guidance concerning responsible AI use within the built environment.

20. Questions about our use of AI

We welcome reasonable questions from clients and other stakeholders about how AI is used within our business.

Where AI has materially contributed to the delivery of a particular professional service, we will seek to provide an appropriate explanation of its role, subject to commercial confidentiality, security considerations and the limitations of the technology concerned.

Questions relating to this policy can be submitted using the contact details provided on the Buildtech Consultancy Ltd website.

21. Review of this policy

This policy will be reviewed periodically and may be amended where necessary.

The latest version published on the Buildtech Consultancy Ltd website will represent our current policy.

Buildtech Consultancy Ltd
Artificial Intelligence Use & Transparency Policy
Version 1.0 – September 2026