Turner Construction is taking artificial intelligence company-wide through a new two-year “wall-to-wall” partnership with OpenAI. The collaboration will provide every Turner employee with access to ChatGPT Enterprise while introducing custom-built AI tools for contract review, safety, and day-to-day jobsite operations. The goal is to make AI part of every stage of building, from planning and procurement to execution and oversight.
The announcement was made during Turner’s 2025 Innovation Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, which ran from October 21 to 23. More than 300 construction and technology leaders gathered in Nashville for the Innovation Summit, where the focus was on how digital solutions and teamwork are transforming how projects are built. During the event, OpenAI specialists hosted interactive training sessions to show Turner employees how to use ChatGPT Enterprise in practical, responsible ways.
The event ended with Turner’s biggest AI agent build to date, a team-based hackathon where participants designed more than 100 custom tools to tackle real problems seen on job sites every day. Many of these prototypes focused on speeding up contract reviews, improving safety checks, and streamlining how field teams share information.
According to Jim Barrett, Turner’s chief innovation officer, the company is going “floor to ceiling, wall to wall” with ChatGPT across every department. AI reaches “literally every function in the company,” Barrett said. The goal is not just to introduce new tools but to fundamentally change how teams access information, make decisions, and share knowledge across the company.
So what does that look like in practice? Turner plans to roll out AI-powered assistants that help review contracts, identify inconsistencies, and speed up bidding and procurement. On jobsites, AI agents will help monitor safety, analyze site photos, and support field operations such as logistics and scheduling. These tools are designed to integrate with Turner’s existing digital systems and innovation initiatives, expanding how data is used to improve safety and decision-making across projects.
But technology is only part of the story. Turner is investing heavily in its people. During the summit, OpenAI led live training sessions to help employees learn how to use ChatGPT Enterprise responsibly and effectively. The company is also creating “AI champions”, a group of roughly 20 to 30 team members who will guide colleagues through real-world use cases. “We want to make sure that we’re getting everybody up on that learning journey, and that they’re really leveraging the capabilities of ChatGPT and other tools,” Barrett said.
Turner emphasized the importance of accuracy, security, and transparency as it expands its use of AI. Guardrails are being put in place to reduce errors, manage sensitive data, and keep human oversight at the center of decision-making. Barrett noted that the two-year partnership gives Turner the flexibility to refine its systems as the AI arms race evolves. “We’re always exploring the different solutions that are out there,” Barrett said. “It’s a constantly changing landscape, and we want to be at the forefront of that.”
By combining OpenAI’s enterprise tools with its deep industry expertise, Turner is aiming to make construction work smarter, safer, and more efficient. The “wall-to-wall” partnership signals a new era of tech adoption across one of the world’s largest builders, and a clear sign that AI is becoming a foundation of modern construction.
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