Aipedia: Interior designers

AI product sourcing and specification: getting it right

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

AI sourcing assistants speed up finding products, but they can suggest items with the wrong fire rating, the wrong grade for commercial use, or that are discontinued. Interior designers must give suppliers information that is accurate in all material respects under BIID clause 4(d).

Part of: AI in Interior designers

In short

Interior designers may use AI shopping and specification assistants to find furniture, fabrics, finishes and fittings and to build schedules. These tools can invent product details, mix up domestic and contract-grade items, miss fire performance requirements and list discontinued lines. BIID Code clause 4(d) requires information to consultants and suppliers to be accurate in all material respects, and 4(a) requires reasonable skill and care. On fit-outs, Building Regulations Part 2A also applies. Verify every product against manufacturer data before issue, and check how your PI treats AI-assisted schedules.

How designers use AI for sourcing

AI assistants can search catalogues, suggest alternatives within a budget, draft product descriptions and assemble specification schedules from a list of rooms. For busy studios, this cuts hours from the sourcing stage. The risk is that a confident-looking schedule contains details nobody has checked: a fire rating copied from a different product, a fabric rub test figure that does not exist, or a lead time from a year ago.

The duties that apply

The BIID Code of Conduct (1 April 2026) has no AI clause, but specification sits squarely within:

4(d): information to consultants and suppliers must be professionally prepared and accurate in all material respects;
4(a): reasonable skill and care to the normal standards of the profession;
4(c): ensuring colleagues using these tools are competent and supervised.

On fit-outs, Building Regulations Part 2A reg 11K requires designers to take reasonable steps so the design would comply if built, which includes the fire performance of materials. See the BIID Code and AI guide.

What can go wrong

Illustrative scenario. A designer uses an AI assistant to source upholstery fabric for a hotel bar. The tool lists a domestic fabric as meeting commercial fire standards, mixing it up with a similar contract range. The fabric is ordered and upholstered. A pre-opening fire safety review flags it, the seating has to be re-covered, and opening is delayed. The hotel claims the replacement costs and lost trading from the designer.

Other common errors:

domestic-grade flooring or furniture specified for heavy commercial use;
discontinued or unavailable items left on schedules;
wrong dimensions, colour references or finish codes;
product details invented by the tool rather than drawn from a source.

The interior designer specification risk guide sets out more examples.

How PI usually responds

Claims arising from a negligent specification are commonly within interior designers' PI, subject to the policy terms, and the use of an AI tool does not usually change that by itself. Some policies may limit cover for supplying goods as opposed to advising on them, so designers who buy and resell products should check how that is treated. Prompt notification matters when a supplier or reviewer flags a problem. See does PI cover AI and IP claims and AI procurement and ordering.

Where AI sourcing tools fall short

AI sourcing assistants are good at breadth and weak at precision. They tend to:

summarise product pages that are out of date or from resellers rather than manufacturers;
fill gaps with plausible numbers when a data sheet does not give one;
treat similar product names or ranges as interchangeable;
ignore regional availability, minimum order quantities and lead times;
miss that a product is suitable for domestic but not commercial use.

Commercial interiors usually carry stricter requirements than homes, especially for fire performance, durability and slip resistance. A product that is fine in a private sitting room may be unsuitable in a hotel corridor or care setting. A designer who issues an AI-built schedule without checking these points risks breaching 4(d) and the duty of reasonable skill and care.

Records that help if a claim comes

When a specification is challenged, the designer's best defence is evidence of what was checked. Keep the manufacturer data sheet or certificate relied on for each line, the date it was checked, who checked it, and any supplier confirmations. Note where an AI tool produced the first draft. That record supports your position with the client and with your insurer, and helps show the care required under the Code.

Practical controls

Check every specified item against the manufacturer's current data sheet.
Confirm fire, slip, durability and contract-grade ratings from source documents.
Confirm availability and lead times with the supplier, not the tool.
Keep the source document reference against each schedule line.
Have a second person review schedules for commercial projects.
Label AI-drafted schedules as drafts until verified.

How Apex helps: Apex arranges PI for interior designers. A broker can review how your policy treats specification advice, product supply and AI-assisted schedules. See PI insurance for interior designers.

Sources

Frequently asked

Can I send an AI-generated specification to a supplier?

Only after checking it. BIID clause 4(d) requires information to suppliers to be accurate in all material respects, so verify each product, rating and code against manufacturer data first.

Who is responsible if an AI tool gives the wrong fire rating?

The designer who issued the specification is usually the one the client will look to. The tool provider's terms typically exclude liability, which is why checking against source documents matters.

Does PI cover the cost of replacing wrongly specified products?

It may, where the client brings a claim alleging negligent specification and the policy covers that activity, subject to its terms and excess. Cover can differ if you supplied the goods yourself.

Should I tell clients that I use AI for sourcing?

There is no BIID rule requiring it, but being open in your proposal about how products are found and checked can avoid disputes. What matters most is that every product you specify has been verified, whatever tool found it.

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.

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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.