From Disputes to Decisions: A Literature Review on Artificial Intelligence Applications in Construction Legal Issues

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being applied to legal issues in construction, where disputes, contract risks, and litigation outcomes carry major financial and operational consequences. To fully embrace the potential of emerging AI solutions, it is first essential to assess what has already been achieved - what tasks have been explored, what data have been utilized, and how models have performed. This study addresses that need by systematically reviewing 37 peer-reviewed papers published between 2015 and 2025, synthesizing current knowledge on AI applications in construction-related legal contexts. Following the PRISMA framework, the review categorizes prior work into main use cases: litigation outcome prediction, contract analysis, dispute resolution methods, and case summarization with dispute drivers. It further examines the AI methods and algorithms employed, associated data sources and sizes, performance levels, and reported limitations. Findings highlight a strong reliance on supervised learning and natural language processing, with contract risk analysis and litigation prediction emerging as dominant applications. However, challenges persist, including small and fragmented datasets, interpretability concerns, and jurisdictional constraints. The review concludes by outlining opportunities for future research, emphasizing the potential of large language models and multimodal AI to advance the field.

Publication Title

Construction Research Congress 2026 Advanced Technologies Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics in Construction Selected Papers from Construction Research Congress 2026

ISBN

[9780784486986]

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