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In early November 2024, Google released Jarvis. Sharing a name with Ironman’s own natural language interface, Jarvis has been tapped as Google’s next AI Agent. Other leaders in the AI category like OpenAI and Anthropic have made it clear that ‘chat bots’ are great, but it’s not the end goal. They want their AI to do stuff.
Cut the chit chat
The next frontier for chat bots is teaching them how to use computers. Headlines like “ChatGPT can now read some of your Mac’s desktop apps” and “Google’s next AI just leaked, and it can take over your computer” signal a clear mandate that AI is going from chat-bot to do-bot. When we hear “take over your computer”, the visceral reaction may be fear, but it shouldn’t be. At Briq, we talk extensively about the concepts of “do-bots” and “digital workers”, and we’re happy to see the rest of the AI community catching up. We published an online guide to AI Agents here that details why AI using your software is a good thing.
Google, Anthropic and OpenAI are building AI agents that are largely geared towards consumers. For example, someone may use their AI agents to order an Uber or put a list of destinations together for a vacation. In a business context, however, these agents will be asked to do more. They will need to understand business rules and processes more deeply and carefully than simply booking travel. Instead of looking at the OpenAI, Anthropics, and Microsofts of the world as AI partners, contractors should look for technology that trains digital agents for construction-specific cases.
In construction, the stakes are high, and the workflows are complex. Managing project budgets, tracking job costs, ensuring compliance, and handling change orders require precision and expertise. Using general AI agents may seem convenient, but they lack the specialized understanding to be effective in these processes. Contractors need AI agents trained specifically on construction business cases.
For example, general AI might be able to parse a budget spreadsheet, but a construction-specific AI agent can identify discrepancies between estimated and actual costs, tie them to specific job codes, and flag potential overages before they escalate. These agents understand the nuances of construction jargon, critical financial metrics like percent-complete or retainage, and the cascading effects of schedule delays. A general AI simply doesn’t have the context to interpret this complexity, leaving contractors with surface-level performance.
Construction-specific AI agents also need to work with industry tools like Procore, Sage 300, or Viewpoint. A general bot might explain what a change order is, but an agent trained in construction can log into Procore, run a report, and flag jobs bleeding cash due to unapproved changes. ChatGPT can give you a definition of an RFI, but it won’t sift through your system to predict which ones could trigger scope creep or cash flow nightmares. These aren’t chat bots—they’re do-bots, built to handle real problems contractors face every day.
Meet Otto
Enter Otto, Briq’s AI-driven “do-bot,” built not just to assist construction teams, but to actively work within their systems and tools. Otto isn’t here to just generate insights or highlight potential issues—it’s designed to take real, meaningful action. Think of it as an AI agent that understands the ins and outs of your construction software and handles the repetitive, time-consuming tasks that slow your team down.
At its core, Otto is a powerful extension of Briq’s financial automation platform. It doesn’t just integrate with your systems; it uses them. Otto can log into your tools—like Sage, Procore, or Viewpoint—and perform tasks that typically bog down construction teams. For example, Otto can:
- Process invoices: Instead of simply flagging discrepancies, Otto takes it a step further by assigning the right cost codes, validating vendor details, and ensuring compliance with company rules—all directly within your software.
- Reconcile credit card expenses: Otto doesn’t stop at identifying mismatches. It works through your Briq platform to match receipts to transactions, assign job-specific codes, and update your accounting system automatically.
- Manage job costs: Whether it’s allocating costs to the right jobs, updating budgets, or syncing payroll to project-specific cost codes, Otto handles it seamlessly within your connected systems.
This isn't theoretical AI or a bot sitting on the sidelines giving advice. Otto takes action on your behalf in the systems you already rely on, saving you hours of manual work every week. It eliminates the back-and-forth between different tools by ensuring everything syncs properly—on time, every time.
One of Otto’s biggest strengths is its adaptability. Whether you have unique business rules, complex workflows, or specific software configurations, Otto learns and works within your processes. Need an RFI logged, a budget updated, or unapproved change orders flagged? Otto doesn’t just notify you—it does the work inside your systems, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
This hands-on capability makes Otto more than just another AI assistant. It’s a true digital worker, designed to eliminate bottlenecks and free your team to focus on strategic decisions rather than administrative tasks. By automating workflows directly in Briq and other industry-standard platforms, Otto transforms your financial operations into a well-oiled machine.
With Otto, you’re not just adding a chatbot to your tech stack—you’re empowering your software to work harder for you. It’s the ultimate AI agent for contractors who need real results, not just recommendations. In an industry where time is money, Otto’s ability to “do the work” ensures your team can focus on building, not busywork.
