An Oct. 17 report from consulting firm McKinsey and Co. points to the construction industry’s workforce shortage and stunted productivity gains and proposes humanoid robots could be a potential solution, according to Construction Dive. Although humanoid robots are not currently prevalent on job sites, the McKinsey and Co. report says builders should prepare for the robots to be used in the future. With increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence, McKinsey and Co. said humanoid robots can be a “potentially transformative solution” for the construction industry’s productivity crisis.
The report said contractors should start considering where humanoid robots could fill gaps and help their businesses—for example, by closing productivity gaps or reducing hazardous risks. Then, builders should determine how fast to move toward adoption.
The report says: “With the industry’s long-standing labor and productivity challenges likely to intensify, construction leaders would do well to begin considering potential uses for humanoids now. If humanoids do become a cost-effective solution, companies will want to move as fast as possible. Those who prepare now will be best positioned to seize the opportunities ahead.”
An Equipment & Robotics Benchmarking report from BuiltWorlds shows construction companies’ positive evaluations of robotics rose from 74% in 2024 to higher than 95% in 2025. However, the number of firms reporting active robotics use fell from 65% in 2024 to 46% in 2025.
