by Sam Caulton
(Chief Financial Officer at Re-Leased)
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This article was originally published in ACES Terrier Volume 29 - Issue 4 - Winter 2024/25 (Page 58)
24 months since the launch of ChatGPT, artificial intelligence (AI) has proven itself as more than just a passing trend — it’s a transformative force reshaping how we live and work. The pace of AI adoption has been unprecedented. In just the past year, AI systems have evolved to complete end-to-end tasks that were exclusively human-led a short time ago. This acceleration is underpinned by significant investment from tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta, who are projected to spend between $130- $140bn on additional data centre capacity by the end of this year. These investments are driving not only their platforms, but also technological advancements across industries — innovations that the public sector cannot afford to ignore. The public sector in the UK has long been the backbone of critical infrastructure, services, and governance, with property management playing a pivotal role in maintaining assets and delivering value to communities. However, the landscape is rapidly evolving. The introduction of AI has created an opportunity to reimagine how public property portfolios are managed, bringing a new era of efficiency, strategic oversight, and operational precision. The challenge?
Decades-old systems and manual processes have left many property managers and burdened with administrative work, spreadsheets, and paper trails. In this collision of legacy practices and cutting edge AI, the potential for transformation is both significant and urgent. The good news is that AI-powered solutions are no longer futuristic concepts: they are here, ready to deliver tangible benefits that empower property teams to focus on high-value work that drives meaningful impact.
Managing public sector property portfolios in England comes with unique challenges. Surveyors and property managers are tasked with overseeing assets that range from schools, hospitals, and libraries to office spaces, council housing, and transport infrastructure. These portfolios are not only extensive but also highly diverse, creating significant complexity in day-to-day management. Adding to the challenge are tightening budgets, pressure for greater accountability, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements. Many chartered surveyors and property teams find themselves consumed by repetitive manual tasks:
The benefits of AI for the public sector property industry are clear and far-reaching. AI presents an opportunity to:
The public sector in the UK is at a critical juncture. As expectations rise and resources remain constrained, property teams are under immense pressure to deliver more with less. AI offers a pathway to achieving this, providing a scalable, costeffective solution for modernising property management practices. Adopting AI is not about replacing roles, it’s about augmenting capabilities. Property managers are highly skilled professionals whose expertise is critical to public sector success. AI tools like Credia AI free them from mundane tasks, enabling them to:
The public sector deserves tools that enable property professionals to thrive. AI-powered solutions unlock the potential for faster, smarter, and more impactful property management. Imagine a future where public sector property teams can:
