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Looking out at the AI landscape
In today’s complex regulatory environment, code compliance management is critical in ensuring safety in our built environments. However, as these codes become more comprehensive, they become more challenging to manage and meet. Homeowners, developers, architects, engineers, builders, and government officials spend significant amounts of time dissecting and working with the code.
The code ecosystem is not only incredibly dense but also constantly changing. We host over 5 million code sections and 1,700+ state and city codes, update over 7,000 sections per month (on average), and host over 160,000 local amendments. Other challenges include the difficulty of working across multiple jurisdictions and maintaining firm-wide code expertise. What if there was a way to simplify this process? What if AI could help us navigate this complex landscape more efficiently?
AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and others have raised questions about the future of work. Will AI replace job functions or even entire roles? While AI is undoubtedly a massive disruptor, its true potential connects to how it can augment human capabilities, not replace them. AI tools can unlock unprecedented levels of productivity and insight, transforming industries and workflows in the process.
We’re also witnessing the rise of vertical-specific AI products tailored to meet specific industries' unique needs. For instance, Harvey.ai is revolutionizing the legal sector, while Keeper is transforming accounting and tax operations. We believe every industry will have dominant AI players, and we’re excited to be part of this revolution.
However, the legal framework surrounding AI and its implications across industries is still catching up, and it remains a unique challenge across various industries and job roles. We believe that an AEC-focused solution that is powered by AI, is the safest and most effective way for AEC professionals to experience the benefits of AI.
Introducing UpCodes Copilot
At UpCodes, we envision a world where architects, engineers, contractors, and everyone involved in the building compliance lifecycle can work together seamlessly and harness the power of AI to create safer buildings. We’re in the early innings of that future, and it’s why we’re excited to announce UpCodes Copilot, your AI-powered code research assistant.
Our vision is that Copilot becomes an indispensable research assistant for designers, builders, plan reviewers, and plan examiners. Instead of manually parsing through dense code sections, Copilot accelerates your code research process by instantly delivering tailored responses to any code query. With Copilot you can:
- Research faster – Go beyond manually gathering code sections from various codes and chapters.
- Be more efficient – Catch sections you may have missed and better manage compliance.
- Gain insight – Unlock the ability to parse through massive quantities of code.
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How does it work?
Copilot builds on our powerful search that surfaces relevant content across our 5+ million code sections by directly answering your toughest code questions. Its responses are based on analysis across multiple code sections (including tables and charts!) as well as basic calculations. And best yet, Copilot always cites the sections it pulls from so you can validate the response and deepen your code knowledge.
We also decided to let Copilot take a few practice tests, and we were pleased with the results:
- Copilot scored 74% on text-based code questions in the “Project Development and Documentation” section of ARE 5.0 (Practice Exam).
- Copilot scored 86% on the “B3 - Building Plans Examiner: Practice Exam” on Udemy.
- Copilot scored 88% on the “B2 - Commercial Building Inspector: Practice Exam” on Udemy.
Who is Copilot for?
UpCodes Copilot is for anyone involved in the code compliance lifecycle. You already know how cumbersome and difficult it is to gather context and gain insight into what the code is saying. Wherever you are in the architectural design process, whether you’re designing, building, or managing occupancy, Copilot will accelerate your code research.
We’ve been testing Copilot with leading AEC firms, so don’t just take our word for it. Here's what we've heard from our users:
"Copilot is fantastic! The answers are clear and understandable and the code citations are an added bonus. This has already saved me many hours of research just in the last couple of weeks. I've been using UpCodes for a couple of years and it just keeps getting better. Keep up the good work!"
Marc Gordon, Partner, Spacesmith LLP
“Copilot gives you an answer and then fact-checking it is so quick because the code sections are listed there. I’m able to reference the code sections directly from the answer… My boss, who was the code guru in the office, recently retired, and I feel that talking to CodePilot is like talking to him!”
Architect, Pennsylvania
“This is a really good place to start your code research, it points you in the right direction. This is very helpful for us!”
Building Official, California
“In the engineering world, if you don’t cite your source, you didn’t answer the question. That’s why Copilot has a lot of potential. It’s a great way to get started on a code research project, especially for codes that I’m unfamiliar with.”
Fire Protection Engineer, Georgia
What are example use cases for Copilot?
Ask a code question – Ask code questions for a specific jurisdiction and adoption cycle and get answers that point out the relevant code sections.
Example: “I have a parking lot with 200 spaces. How many van-accessible spaces do I need?”
Explain a concept or code section – Get detailed explanations for complex concepts or specific code sections.
Example: “Can you explain what 'fire separation distance' means in the context of building code?"
Find related sections – Identify code sections that correspond to a specific topic you’re researching.
Example: "Find all sections related to plumbing codes in a residential building."
Perform a calculation – Provide your project parameters to Copilot and let it calculate the code requirements for you.
Example: “Help me determine the maximum occupancy of a building, given its size…”
Summarize what the code is saying – For lengthy code sections, ask Copilot to give you an overview of the key points.
Example: "Summarize the key points from Section 101.2 of CBC 2022."
Generate a checklist for a focus area – Get a tailored checklist for that specific focus area to help you ensure all requirements are met.
Example: “Provide a checklist for designing a Type 1 grease duct for a fryer in a commercial kitchen. The kitchen is on the ground floor of a 3-story building. Ventilation equipment will be placed on the roof.”
How do I get access to Copilot?
As part of our launch of UpCodes Copilot, we are introducing the brand-new Professional plan. This plan will let you and your team leverage AI-powered insights and scale your research. Copilot will be a key feature of this plan, with additional powerful features also coming soon. You can learn more about the Professional plan on our Pricing page.
If you’re currently on the Enterprise plan, you can try out Copilot by asking it up to three questions. Current Enterprise plan subscribers can add Copilot by reaching out to their account manager or contacting our team.
If you’re currently on the Essentials (formerly Premium) plan, you can try Copilot by asking it up to three questions. To get full access to Copilot, you will need to upgrade your account to Professional.
We’re excited to introduce an AEC-focused solution that can simplify your process and accelerate your code research. We’re excited to get it in front of our users and hear how it changes your workflows.
If you have any questions or feedback, please see FAQ below or reach out directly to our team.
FAQ
How is Copilot different than ChatGPT or Google Bard? UpCodes Copilot provides contextual answers to your code questions, pulling from frequently updated code sections and jurisdiction-specific code adoptions. Generic AIs work from out-of-date code and is not jurisdiction-specific. Because the codes change dramatically across adoption cycles and jurisdictions, UpCodes is often the only place that is continually integrating local amendments or changes to the code. We also bring in direct references to corresponding code sections in the answers, so you can better understand how Copilot came to a specific answer.
How many questions can I ask Copilot? It depends on your UpCodes plan. If you are subscribed to the Essentials plan (formerly known as Premium), you can try out Copilot by asking it three complimentary questions. If you have subscribed to the Professional plan, you’ll have unlimited access to Copilot. For Enterprise accounts without the Copilot add-on, you can try Copilot by asking it three complementary questions. However, for Enterprise accounts with the Copilot add-on, you’ll have unlimited access to Copilot.
Does Copilot remember my prior questions? Yes, Copilot remembers information from previous messages in the same conversation. But it's important to note that if you adjust your jurisdiction or code year via the filters on the left, Copilot won't be able to reference messages connected to the previous jurisdiction and/or year. So, keep this in mind when making changes to your settings.
Will Copilot replace certain job functions or entire roles? No, UpCodes Copilot is designed as a tool that sits in a code researcher’s toolbelt. With use cases like design and construction, code research is an iterative process that requires human judgment. Our goal with Copilot is that it tackles the mundane or potentially difficult parts of parsing the code and elevating that to the user. Furthermore, decision-making and direction will always come from a professional. We believe that AI augmenting what professionals do is the path forward.
I’ve heard that Large Language Models (LLMs) are prone to hallucinations. How do you deal with that when it comes to code? Like all LLMs, Copilot can hallucinate. Please remember that Copilot isn’t built to replace the professional, but is a tool that professionals leverage. We recommend that you verify the answers it gives you. Copilot is designed to be a companion, doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but the human will always be the one who should verify and take it across the finish line. Our goal is for Copilot to continue to get better and we’re working hard to limit hallucinations.
How does Copilot tie into UpCodes’ previous fight to keep the laws free? A critical component of keeping the laws free is fostering a thriving ecosystem of innovation. Our hope that is innovation isn’t stifled and that everyone who needs access to the codes, will have that access. This is not that dissimilar to law, medicine, or government, where there is a rich ecosystem of tools and products that professionals can use in their workflow. Over the last 50 years, productivity has declined in the construction industry, which is trending in the opposite direction of other industries. We’ve always been huge proponents of new tools and workflows. Now that AI has come along, we view it as an incredible opportunity to help professionals in the AEC space. We helped establish that laws are in the public domain, and now believe that any LLM can train on this publicly available data.