Posted on: October 27, 2026 by Huntersure
AI-assisted design tools can help architects and engineers prepare specifications, analyze information, and review project designs. However, using AI does not relieve firms of their professional responsibilities. Errors in AI-assisted work could lead to negligence allegations if they affect a project’s outcome. For agents placing professional liability insurance for architects, engineers, and design firms, understanding how clients use and verify AI-generated information is an important part of evaluating their exposure.
An incorrect AI-generated result does not automatically constitute professional negligence. The potential liability arises when an architect or engineer relies on inaccurate information while providing professional services, and a client alleges that the resulting mistake caused financial harm or other damages.
For example, an AI-assisted tool might generate a material specification that fails to meet a project’s performance requirements. If the firm incorporates the specification into its final plans without identifying the error, the client could pursue a claim for redesign costs, replacement materials, or construction delays.
The allegation would center on the firm’s professional work, including whether its review and approval procedures met the applicable standard of care.
Determining responsibility can become more complicated when AI software, outside consultants, and multiple design professionals contribute to the same project. However, as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) explains, the professional accountability expected of architects using AI remains an important consideration. Firms must exercise professional judgment, verify the quality and technical soundness of AI-assisted work, and remain accountable for the final design.
The potential consequences depend on how the firm uses AI and whether its output influences professional decisions.
AI-assisted tools may support drafting, technical research, design analysis, and document preparation. Errors become a greater professional liability concern when the firm relies on inaccurate information to make decisions or prepare deliverables.
Consider the differences between several applications:
Concerns about inaccurate output were among the findings in AIA’s 2025 research on AI adoption in architecture.
The firm’s verification procedures are particularly relevant. An AI-generated code summary, for instance, needs to be checked against applicable requirements before it informs a design decision. Similarly, a technical recommendation requires professional review before becoming part of the project’s specifications.
Responsibility for digital design information is also relevant to building information modeling and professional liability, particularly when project participants rely on shared models and data.
Agents do not need to evaluate the technical accuracy of a client’s design software. They do need to understand how AI-assisted work fits into the firm’s professional services.
During submissions and renewals, start by establishing which tasks involve AI. A firm using AI to generate preliminary concepts presents different considerations from one incorporating AI-assisted calculations or specifications into final deliverables.
The review should also address who checks the work. Does a qualified architect or engineer independently verify AI-assisted calculations and recommendations? Are there procedures for reviewing automated changes before issuing design documents? Can the firm identify who approved the final work?
Answers can help clarify how the firm manages its professional responsibilities.
Agents should also confirm that the insured’s description of operations reflects its current services. If AI-assisted processes have changed the work the firm performs or the responsibilities it assumes, the submission should accurately explain those activities.
Professional liability insurance addresses certain claims arising from alleged errors, omissions, or negligence in professional services. However, an allegation involving AI-assisted design work does not automatically establish coverage. The applicable policy terms, the nature of the professional services, and the circumstances of the allegation all affect how a claim would be evaluated.
Huntersure’s professional liability program for architects, engineers, and design firms provides defense protection for allegations of professional negligence. When AI-assisted work contributes to an alleged design error, agents should review the firm’s professional responsibilities and applicable policy terms to understand potential coverage implications. Agents can discuss their clients’ use of AI-assisted design tools, ask questions about coverage considerations, and explore appropriate E&O insurance options when requesting a quote from Huntersure.
Huntersure LLC is a full-service Managing General Agency that has provided insurance program administration for professional liability products to our partners across the United States since 2007. We specialize in providing insurance solutions for businesses of all sizes. Our program features can cover small firms (grossing $2.5 million annually) to large corporations (grossing $25 million annually or more). We make doing business with us easy with our breadth and depth of knowledge of E&O insurance, our proprietary underwriting system that allows for responsive quoting, binding, and policy issuance and tailored products to meet the needs of your insureds. Give us a call at (855) 585-6255 to learn more.
Posted in: Architects/ Engineers Design Firm Errors & Omissions Insurance
