OpenSpace CEO Jeevan Kalanithi published a column in Forbes arguing that the most significant opportunity in AI is not language but understanding the physical world. While large language models have transformed how we interact with information, the industries that stand to benefit most from AI operate in physical environments: construction, manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure and healthcare. The piece makes the case that reality data, continuous digital records of what actually exists rather than what was planned, is the foundation for this next wave of AI.
The distinction Kalanithi draws between planning data and reality data gets to the heart of what makes OpenSpace’s approach different. Most construction software has historically worked with what was intended: drawings, schedules, specifications and BIM models. These are documents about a future state. What has been much harder to capture and interpret is the current state: what is actually built, where work is progressing and where problems are emerging before they become expensive. OpenSpace’s Visual Intelligence Platform treats site imagery not as documentation but as structured, measurable data that AI can reason about. The result is a feedback loop that has historically been absent from construction, the ability to compare plans against reality continuously, at scale, across an entire project portfolio. That feedback is what drives better decisions, earlier issue identification and ultimately better project outcomes.
Kalanithi’s comparison to manufacturing is instructive. Manufacturing closed the loop between planning and execution decades ago and the productivity gains were transformative. Every observation on the line fed back into the system, improving quality and performance over time. Construction has operated as an open-loop industry for most of its history, but the conditions for closing that loop are now in place. As AI becomes capable of interpreting physical environments at scale, the questions it can help answer move from “what does the plan say?” to “what is actually happening, and what should we do about it?” For OpenSpace’s customers, this shift is already underway. The platform is helping project teams identify issues earlier, coordinate more effectively and make decisions grounded in an accurate picture of site conditions rather than the latest manual report.
By: Jeevan Kalanithi
