Recently, ELEVATOR WORLD Editor-at-Large Ricia Sturgeon-Hendrick wrote that she believed many of us are just a little afraid of AI. She said:
“I think it is the lack of humanness. We are accustomed to getting information from computers but believe they have been educated and programmed by humans. Somehow, generative AI is different — beyond human. It’s a big leap for us to make.”
In the vertical-transportation (VT) industry, however, we are struggling with what is called a “double tsunami”: a skills gap for those coming into the industry and a slew of baby boomers retiring. Perhaps this makes us a little more open to the opportunities offered us by properly trained AI. Here are just a few of the things generative AI could do on jobsites: optimize the use of materials and labor (thereby saving money); improve safety with real-time cameras and sensors; increase quality control with remote monitoring; improve communication between teams working separately; and, of course, provide predictive maintenance, which is already being used in the VT world. Recently on LinkedIn, Otis Chair, CEO and President Judy Marks said:
“The acceleration of technological advances and population demographics in many parts of the world are converging to create incredible opportunities for those who are adaptable. The people and organizations that succeed will foster this adaptability — rethinking traditional roles, focusing on skills that can’t be replicated by technology and encouraging retraining professional development.”
It seems we must be adaptable not only in our professional roles and how we execute them, but also in how we think of VT and related industries. Themes of sustainability, adaptive reuse, new technologies to handle environmental issues, among others, are more prevalent in our discourse and fill many of these pages, as we analyze and adapt to the world before us.
At the well-attended European Lift Association General Assembly, held in Istanbul in May, the theme was “Transition Toward Global Sustainability.” Bulent Yılmaz’s report on the event breaks down how the topic was covered over the two days.
EW UK Correspondent Madeleine Olausson reports on a recent Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat U.K. chapter event titled Adaptive Reuse in Tall Buildings. Architects, VT consultants, glass providers and sustainability consultants, among others, gathered to discuss the key benefits of reuse from a U.K. perspective. Olausson also talks VT trends and sustainability with KONE’s Head of Major Projects in Great Britain, Samu Salmelin, in A VT Conversation in London.
Our focus this quarter is Environmental Issues. We have two articles on the topic:
- Magic Cotton Wool by Lindsay Fletcher. Zauberwatte®, developed by Stingl GmbH and a partner company, absorbs anything that is lighter than water, aiding in oil cleanup in our industry.
- IoT’s Role in Fire Safety and Evacuation by Dr. Vikram Mehta. The author extolls the benefits of IoT in fire safety when evaluating equipment and working with firefighters.
Our features this issue span the world but end up close to home:
- Past, Present and Future by EW UK Correspondent Jason Halligan. Your author talks with Cordula Jourdan, Schindler’s head of Global Field Quality and Excellence, about the company’s 150-year history and what comes next.
- Photo Contest 2024 by Kathleen Farrell. This 12th annual event never fails to amaze. It is one of our favorite things to view our industry from the cameras of those who work daily on lifts and escalators.
- Skyline and Sketching by Olausson. An afternoon spent drawing atop the Battersea Power Station.
We hope you enjoy the magazine this quarter. Send your feedback, ideas and articles to angie@elevatorworld.com.
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