CIBSE position statement says engineers stay accountable for AI-assisted work

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has published a position statement on artificial intelligence, telling building engineers they remain professionally and legally accountable for their work whether or not AI tools were used to produce it.

The document, Position Statement – Artificial Intelligence, was drawn up by CIBSE's AI Working Group in response to what the institution called the accelerating adoption of AI tools across professional practice. CIBSE announced the publication on 9 November 2026.

Its central principle is that AI-generated outputs must be critically assessed and verified by qualified professionals rather than accepted without scrutiny, CIBSE said.

In its announcement, CIBSE said that in an industry where safety, competence and accountability are paramount, technology must support professional judgement and never replace it.

Opportunity first

CIBSE said the statement takes an opportunity-led approach and that adoption of new technology should not be unnecessarily discouraged. The knowledge portal entry for the document describes the approach as "opportunity first, with a grounding in current and anticipated regulatory landscapes".

The institution frames AI tools as improvers of building safety, facilitators of high-difficulty tasks and alleviators of repetitive work. It said it wants the technology channelled ethically, holistically and in a purpose-driven way.

Alongside the accountability principle, the statement says AI use must align with CIBSE's Code of Conduct and the principles of engineering excellence and sustainability. It stresses continued learning, critical thinking and the maintenance of fundamental engineering competencies as AI becomes more embedded in workflows.

The working group

The AI Working Group is chaired by Jon Belfield of InTandem Systems Ltd, according to CIBSE's knowledge portal. Contributors listed include Eliot Gillings of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Krishnan Gowri of ASHRAE.

The Code of Conduct

The current CIBSE Code of Professional Conduct, which the statement says AI use must align with, came into force on 1 January 2025 and is reviewed every two years. It applies to all CIBSE members irrespective of membership grade.

The Code requires members to identify and disclose any limitations of their competence to relevant parties, and to actively maintain and develop their skills and knowledge through planned continuing professional development.

CIBSE describes the guidance and codes it publishes as internationally recognised as authoritative.

A starting point, not a framework

CIBSE said the statement is intended as a starting point for discussion rather than a definitive or static framework, and that it will review its position regularly as AI capabilities, applications and regulatory requirements change.

The institution is inviting feedback, dialogue and cross-industry collaboration from members and the wider industry. It said the statement is the beginning of the conversation and that it wants to work with members and the wider industry on how AI develops in the profession.

Wider CIBSE activity on AI

The statement sits alongside other CIBSE work on the subject. The institution's Technology and Innovation Conference 2026, held on 1 July 2026 at CIBSE HQ in London, included a stream on AI, machine learning and intelligent systems, with sessions on ethics, data governance and what responsible AI integration looks like in practice.

CIBSE also runs a training course, Introduction to AI for Building Services Engineers, which covers what a large language model is and how it works.