I firmly believe street works is about to change more in the next five years than it has in the last twenty.

We’re entering a genuinely transformative phase. A lot of what we think of as “future tech” is already live, being trialled, or about to hit production. Examples already in the real world include:

  • Automated works plans from platforms like 1Streetworks and Causeway one.network
  • AI-assisted permit application and assessment emerging from suppliers like Triopsis
  • Automated site setup using systems like Highway Care’s Falcon
  • Automated excavation such as SGN’s RRES, scanning and digging with high precision
  • Automated site inspection using technology from companies like Vaisala

It’s exciting to see how quickly the industry is moving.

The part that decides whether any of it works

As these tools grow in capability and begin to connect to each other, one thing becomes increasingly important: AI and automation depend heavily on the quality and clarity of the data behind them.

This isn’t a criticism of data and systems teams — far from it. They’re building the foundations the future will rest on. NSG custodians, mapping specialists and others already do a huge amount, often with limited resources.

It’s simply the reality that AI can only make safe decisions when the underlying datasets are accurate and can connect to each other — via unique keys such as USRNs — for cross-validation. Only then can the data truly support those decisions.

Consider an AI system determining traffic management or drafting a permit from incorrect assumptions: speed limits, road type, constraints, geometry, surrounding assets. The output can only ever mirror the data it was given.

And when something goes wrong?

If something fails in a fully automated process, who is legally responsible? The highway authority? The utility? The NSG custodian? The software or AI supplier? All of them?

That question doesn’t have a settled answer yet, and it’s one of the reasons I think the near-term future looks more measured than the technology alone would suggest.

Where I think this lands

For structured tasks — planning, permit drafting, robotic excavation — AI has a huge role to play: reducing workload, improving consistency, and increasing safety.

But humans remain overseers. Picking up on collaborative opportunities, or local context from residents that an algorithm can’t hear over a coffee. The AI takes the day-to-day work; the humans add the high-value, human-focused work.

For final coordination and safety-critical approvals, the safest model right now is a simple one:

AI assists. Humans decide.

Innovation in our sector is something I genuinely love, and I think we’re entering a very exciting moment. We just need to bring the technology forward in a way that is safe, realistic, and grounded in how street works actually functions day to day.

If you work in this space, I’d be interested to know which part of this future feels closest to you.