By Michael P. Walsh, VP at Elevator Construction Consultants
I’ve spent 37 years in this business. I started as a rail hauler as an apprentice and worked my way up to a leadership role at one of the world’s largest construction management firms. I’m old enough to remember when elevators were moved by manual crank-handles, and I was there when the first microprocessors took over.
For a century, the logic was simple: A human told a machine exactly what to do, and the machine did it. Today, that era is over.
The Rise of Agency
We are entering the age of the Agentic System. In the elevator world, this isn’t just a fancy chatbot. We’re talking about systems with “agency”, the ability to see a problem, think through a solution, and take action without waiting for a human to hit “confirm.”
To understand why this is a game-changer, look at how things break today. Traditional “Predictive Maintenance” is basically just a very loud alarm clock. When a sensor overheats, it triggers a red alert on the dashboard, and then a human has to figure out what’s wrong.
Agentic AI doesn’t wait for permission. Imagine a “digital apprentice” that works 24/7. It doesn’t just flag a motor vibration; it analyzes the sound, compares it to 10,000 other elevators, and identifies the exact part that’s failing. Then, it goes a step further: it checks the parts inventory, creates a work order, and finds the nearest mechanic. By the time the building manager finishes their morning coffee, the solution is already in motion.
From Static Rules to Real-Time Adaptation
We’ve all seen Destination Dispatch systems (the screens where you select your floor before boarding). They’re smart, but they’re “static”; they follow a set of rules written years ago.
Agentic AI treats building traffic like a high-stakes chess game. We are moving toward Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). In this world, every elevator car is its own “player.” They “negotiate” with each other in real-time. If a huge crowd suddenly hits the 12th floor, one car tells the others: “I’ve got the 12th; you guys stay in the lobby.” It adapts to the unpredictable chaos of human behavior in a way no old-school code ever could.
Evolution, Not Elimination
The biggest concern from the “boots on the ground” is: “Will a robot take my job?”
Being direct: We aren’t losing the trade; we are evolving it. For every traditional role that changes, we are seeing the birth of six new high-tech careers. We are trading “back-breaking” tasks for “high-brain” tasks. Here is the new lineup of experts we need:
Robotic Installation Specialist: Someone must manage the autonomous arms that drill and install rails. You’ll need advanced mechanical skills and robotics training.
Agent Governance Officer: Every AI decision needs an audit. We need experts to ensure the AI’s “logic” never, ever drifts away from safety codes.
Digital Twin Manager: We now build “virtual” versions of buildings to test traffic. We need technicians who can bridge the gap between the virtual world and the machine room.
Forensic Data Analyst: When a system shuts down, we don’t just look for broken parts; we look at the AI’s reasoning. This is a high-demand role for the “detectives” of our industry.
Protecting Expertise, Eliminating Waste
For decades, billing and labor were tracked in large, unwieldy time blocks. It was inefficient for the client and frustrating for the mechanic.
Agentic AI changes the rhythm of work. Because the AI handles the “pre-work”, the diagnostics, the part ordering, and the site prep, the mechanic’s time is protected. This isn’t about “watching” workers; it’s about valuing their expertise. It ensures that when a mechanic arrives, they have the right tool and the right part for a “precision-guided mission.” It eliminates “empty miles” and wasted downtime. It’s about the old industry saying: “8 hours of pay for 8 hours of work,” but updated for the 21st century. It ensures that the mechanic’s hard-earned skills are applied to the actual repair, not to searching for information.
Building Stronger Safety Standards
My father was a 35-year veteran in this industry. He was a master of one specific type of equipment: Westinghouse. He wasn’t interested in learning the “new” computer-based tech of his time. When he retired, it was because the very last of the Westinghouse machines in his area were being replaced. His specialty disappeared.
I sit on four Code Committees, and I know that “autonomy” can be a scary word. But Agentic AI strengthens our safety codes. It allows us to build “digital guardrails” that make it physically impossible for an AI to override a hardwired safety circuit.
The world is moving up, and it’s moving faster than ever. We are no longer just “Elevator People.” We manage a digital and physical workforce. The goal isn’t to replace the mechanic; it’s to give that mechanic “superpowers”, the data and tools they need to be successful on the very first trip. If we aren’t leveraging the agency of these new systems, we’re just waiting for the doors to close on us.
Find out more about Elevator Construction Consultants – elevatorcc.com
