AI and Its Impact on Home Inspectors

by Sanjay Maharaj, Eneris

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, it's no surprise that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making its way into the home inspection industry. AI has already had a significant impact on various aspects of our daily lives, from the vehicles we drive to the banking apps we use. But what does this mean for the future of home inspections? If paper and pen were "Home Inspection 1.0" and today's app-based reporting tools bring us up to "Home Inspection 2.0," what does the next stage look like?

Some companies, like Eneris, are already exploring how AI can assist home inspectors in their work. In 2019, Eneris exhibited an early prototype of an AI-enabled app at the ASHI's InspectionWorld show in San Diego. They demonstrated the app to home inspectors passing by their booth, showing how it could automatically fill in the description and condition of an object based on a photo. For example, if an inspector took a photo of a clogged gutter, the app would recognize it and fill in the description as "Gutters" and the condition as "Clogged," along with additional notes.

The way that AI recognizes objects is through a process called "Machine Learning," which relies on humans to provide reinforcement back to computers in order to score the inference the computer has made. In other words, to teach a computer to recognize an object, you need to show it many examples of that object and provide feedback on whether it correctly identified it. Over time, as the computer receives more feedback, it becomes increasingly precise in its recognition abilities.

While AI may be able to identify and categorize certain issues, it will never be able to replace the human touch that a home inspector provides. An AI-based tool may be able to recognize a clogged gutter or a cracked foundation, but it won't be able to smell mold or hear a buzzing air conditioner. Home inspectors bring a highly localized human touch, empathy for their clients, and the courage to climb up into the attic.

Additionally, AI is limited by the data it has been trained on. If it hasn't seen a certain type of issue before, it won't be able to recognize it. This is where the experience and expertise of a home inspector becomes invaluable. An experienced inspector will be able to identify issues that an AI tool may have never encountered before.

However, that's not to say that AI won't have a role in the future of home inspections. AI has the potential to perform repetitive tasks and support humans with the processing of information. For example, AI could be used to analyze thermal images of a home to detect heat loss and identify areas where insulation may need to be added. This would save inspectors time and provide them with an additional tool for detecting issues.

The key to the successful integration of AI into home inspections is to find the right balance between the capabilities of AI and the expertise of a human inspector. For example, AI could be used to assist inspectors by automatically flagging potential issues that need to be further investigated. This would allow inspectors to focus their attention on the areas that require the most attention, rather than spending time on issues that may not be significant.

Another way AI could be used is in the analysis of data. Home inspectors generate a significant amount of data during their inspections, including photos, notes, and measurements. AI could be used to analyze this data and identify patterns or trends that may be missed by a human inspector. For example, if AI noticed that there were consistently high levels of radon in homes in a certain area, it could be used to recommend that all homes in that area be tested for radon.

Overall, AI has the potential to be a valuable tool in the home inspection industry. It can save time, provide additional tools for identifying issues, and as AI technology continues to evolve, home inspectors can expect to see more advanced tools that help them work more efficiently and accurately. For example, AI can help identify potential issues that may be invisible to the naked eye, such as water damage or hidden structural issues.

In the near future, AI tools may be able to scan the entire home and identify any potential problems. This would save home inspectors a lot of time and effort, allowing them to focus on other aspects of the inspection process. It could also provide homeowners with a more comprehensive report on the condition of their home, which could be helpful in preventing future problems.

One potential concern with using AI in home inspections is the possibility of false positives or false negatives. AI technology relies on data, and if the data is inaccurate or incomplete, the results may not be reliable. Additionally, AI may not be able to detect certain issues that require more human intuition or experience.

To address these concerns, it is important for home inspectors to use AI as a tool rather than a replacement for their own knowledge and experience. AI can help identify potential issues, but ultimately it is up to the inspector to determine the severity and significance of the issues.

Another concern is the cost of implementing AI technology in home inspections. While AI tools can be expensive to develop and maintain, they may ultimately save home inspectors time and money by streamlining the inspection process and providing more accurate and comprehensive reports.

In the end, the use of AI in home inspections is likely to be a balance between the benefits and drawbacks of the technology. While AI can help home inspectors work more efficiently and accurately, it is important to remember that it is not a replacement for human intuition and experience.

As AI technology continues to develop and become more accessible, home inspectors can expect to see more advanced tools that help them work more efficiently and accurately. Whether it is through the use of advanced image recognition software or other AI tools, the future of home inspections looks bright. WRE Get

Working RE OPT