Aipedia: Architects

AI product and material selection: the risks

Aipedia, by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-10-27

AI tools can shortlist products and materials quickly, but the architect remains responsible for checking that what is selected meets the required performance. Wrong or substituted products, especially on fire performance, cause some of the costliest claims.

Part of: AI in Architects

In short

RIBA's 2026 AI Report found 18% of AI-using practices use AI for product and material selection. Tools can suggest products whose certification is out of date, whose fire classification does not suit the use, or which are not actually equivalent when a contractor proposes a substitute. Part 2A reg 11K requires designers to ensure the design would comply if built. Design and build contracts add pressure to approve fast. PI usually responds to negligent selection, but fire safety restrictions may narrow cover.

How architects use AI to select products

The RIBA AI Report 2026 found 18% of AI-using practices use AI for product and material selection. Uses include asking a chatbot to suggest products that meet a performance requirement, comparing datasheets, checking whether a contractor's proposed alternative is equivalent, and generating material palettes from images.

Tools may rely on outdated product data, mix up similar product ranges, confuse a manufacturer's marketing claim with a tested result, or treat products as equivalent because they share a description. They rarely know the precise application, substrate or building height that determines what is acceptable. Product ranges also change frequently, so an answer that was right when the tool was trained may be wrong today. The result is often a confident recommendation with no traceable evidence behind it, which is exactly what a later claim will probe.

The duties that apply

Building Regulations Part 2A, reg 11K: designers must ensure the design would comply if built and provide sufficient design information.
Architects Code Standard 3.1: work within competence, including understanding test evidence and classifications.
Standard 3.2: keep up to date with current standards and good practice.
Standard 4.5: records of why a product was selected or a substitute accepted.
Standard 5.4: tell clients promptly about issues affecting cost, time or quality.

See the ARB and RIBA guide for how these standards apply generally.

What can go wrong

Illustrative scenario. On a design and build project, the contractor proposes a cheaper external cladding board. Under time pressure, the architect, now novated to the contractor, asks an AI tool to compare it with the specified product. The tool reports both as non-combustible, relying on a summary that applied to a different product in the same range. The substitute is installed. A later fire safety review finds it unsuitable for the building height, and replacement is needed.

The architect faces claims from the employer and possibly the contractor, and has no record of what the AI comparison relied on. See design and build risk for architects and novation and PI.

How PI usually responds

A negligent product selection or substitution approval is usually within the scope of architects' PI, subject to the wording. Fire performance is the main complication:

many architects' policies carry fire safety or cladding restrictions, and ARB's PII guidance allows aggregate cover for these risks where sized for multiple claims;
restricted cover is acceptable under ARB guidance only after reasonable efforts to find full cover, and former clients must be told if new exclusions affect existing contracts;
a claim may be shared with the contractor and manufacturer, so records showing what the architect was told matter.

See cladding and fire safety exclusions.

Practical controls

Check every AI product suggestion against current manufacturer data and test evidence for the actual use.
Do not accept substitutes as equivalent on an AI comparison alone.
Record the evidence relied on for each fire-critical product.
Refer fire performance questions outside the practice's competence to a fire engineer.
Resist programme pressure to approve substitutes without proper review, and record any concerns in writing to the employer and contractor.
Recheck products when a long-running project moves between stages.
Keep specification wording performance-based (see AI specification writing).
Run compliance checks as described in AI building regulations checks.

Back to the AI in architecture overview.

How Apex helps

Apex arranges PI for architects working on traditional and design and build projects. A broker can explain how your fire safety terms would apply to a product selection claim.

Sources

Frequently asked

Can I accept a product substitute based on an AI comparison?

Not safely. An AI comparison can help frame questions, but equivalence depends on test evidence for the specific use, substrate and building height. Check the manufacturer's current data and, for fire performance, take specialist advice where needed.

Why is design and build riskier?

Novated architects often face programme and cost pressure to approve substitutes quickly, and may owe duties to both employer and contractor. That combination makes rushed reliance on AI comparisons more likely and claims more complex.

Does PI cover a wrong product choice?

Usually, as a negligence claim, subject to the wording. If the issue concerns fire safety or cladding, restrictions or aggregate limits on the policy may apply, so check how your policy treats those risks.

What records should I keep for product selection?

Keep the product data and test evidence relied on, the date checked, who reviewed it, and the reasons for accepting or rejecting substitutes. Note where AI tools were used and what was verified independently. This supports Standard 4.5.

Check your PI covers how you use AI

Tell us about your firm and the work you do. A broker will review how your current PI treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.

Start a PI quote Request a callback

Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.