Autodesk University (AU) 2025 held in Nashville, Tennessee spotlighted a central theme for the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) industries: the future defined by connected data, cloud-enabled collaboration, and the growing role of artificial intelligence.
Autodesk President and CEO Andrew Anagnost. Image source Autodesk.
In his keynote, Autodesk president and CEO Andrew Anagnost addressed the pressures facing the industry: labor shortages, supply chain strain, and rising demand. He described Autodesk’s mission as on of “unlocking capacity” to create new opportunities — achieving more with fewer resources. You can watch the full keynote here.
For AECO professionals, the message was clear: fragmented workflows and siloed data are increasingly unsustainable. At AU 2025, Autodesk emphasized the role of AI-powered cloud-based collaboration and artificial intelligence in connecting the design, construction, and operations lifecycle. Central to this was the expansion of Forma, Autodesk’s industry cloud for AECO, which now integrates data and workflows across multiple project phases.
One headline announcement at AU 2025 was the expansion of Autodesk Forma, which Autodesk describes as its industry cloud for the sector. Originally launched as a site-planning tool, Forma has grown into a platform intended to connect planning, design, construction, and operations within a shared environment.
Key changes include:
Autodesk also introduced the idea of Forma Connected Clients, starting with Revit, to allow desktop users to access Forma’s data and analysis features without leaving their existing tools.
Amy Bunszel, executive vice-president of Architecture, Engineering and Construction Solutions, said the changes reflect Autodesk’s broader ambition to provide a shared environment for the industry: “Forma is more than a collection of tools; it’s the industry’s first truly unified environment for planning, designing, building, and operating.”
The first AEC-related foundation model developed by Autodesk, neural CAD for buildings enables customers to transition between early design concepts and more detailed building layouts and systems. Image source Autodesk.
Another major focus at AU 2025 was AI. Autodesk announced its first neural CAD foundation models — AI systems designed to reason directly about geometry, building layouts, and engineering systems.
Unlike traditional parametric engines, these models can generate usable CAD models from a text prompt, offering new ways to move between early sketches and more detailed designs.
Mike Haley, who leads Autodesk Research’s Machine Intelligence group, described the potential as enabling “explorative interactions — spontaneous design generation, connected to real-world constraints, and instantly usable in downstream workflows.”
For AECO professionals, implications are practical: feasibility studies, zoning checks, and environmental analyses could shift from time-consuming manual processes to more automated, AI-supported workflows
Autodesk also introduced Autodesk Assistant, an AI tool being piloted in Revit. Framed as an “agentic” assistant, it is designed to:
Raji Arasu, Autodesk executive vice-president and CTO, linked these developments to the company’s broader AI strategy: “We’re not just building tools—we’re building trust in how those tools think. That means being transparent, grounded in real data, and always keeping human designers in the loop.”
The Autodesk Assistant is built on enterprise-grade Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and related APIs. MCP is an emerging standard for linking AI applications to external systems, enabling them to reference project data, tools, and workflows, when performing tasks.
These advances highlight how closely Autodesk’s AI strategy is tied to data strategy. That connection became even clearer in the next set of announcements, where the focus shifted from AI features to data management and digital twins.
Data continuity was another key theme at AU 2025. Autodesk announced that Autodesk Docs will now be known as Forma Data Management, positioned as a common data environment for AECO projects. The goal is to provide teams with a consistent source of project information across desktop and cloud.
Autodesk also introduced Tandem Insights, a new feature in its digital twin platform intended to help facility managers move from reactive to proactive operations. By highlighting critical information — such as energy use, asset performance, or maintenance schedules — Tandem Insights aims to support more data-driven decision-making.
This approach was illustrated by the Denver International Airport renovation, where more than 400 contractors collaborated within a shred environment using Forma, Revit, Civil 3D, and Tandem Insights. Project teams used digital twins to visualize complex construction and operational data, helping minimize disruption while keeping one of the nation’s busiest airports in operation during the upgrade.
Rendering of JT+Partners’ 3D-printed mosque design. Image source JT+Partners and Autodesk.
The annual Design & Make Awards 2025 recognized projects that demonstrate new approaches to design, construction, and operations. Several AECO projects stood out this year:
Other winners included TPF in Brazil, which applied AI to accelerate rail alignment modelling, and Warren and Mahoney in New Zealand, whose Te Rua Archives project combined seismic resilience with cultural collaboration.
These projects reflect how AECO practitioners are using digital tools to address challenges of scale, sustainability, and resilience.
Many of the projects highlighted at AU 2025 placed sustainability and resilience at the center of their design and delivery. Examples included efforts to reduce material waste through 3D printing, optimize rail alignments to lower emissions, and create zero-energy facilities.
Gert-Jan Ditsel of Dura Vermeer, a Dutch design-build firm that uses both Forma and Autodesk Construction Cloud, noted the benefits of connected workflows: “Using Autodesk Forma and Autodesk Construction Cloud has improved how our teams collaborate—from initial design to final construction. We’ve significantly reduced coordination time and improved project delivery timelines.”
These kinds of outcomes underscore how digital platforms are increasingly being applied to both environmental performance and project efficiency.
While Autodesk set out an ambitious agenda at AU 2025, the company also acknowledged the hurdles ahead. For AECO, workforce shortages, organizational change, and the need to build trust in AI remain significant challenges.
Looking ahead, Autodesk says it will continue to develop:
CTO Raji Arasu stressed that these technologies are meant to support — not supplant — human expertise: “We’re not just building tools—we’re building trust in how those tools think.”
The real test, however, will be how quickly AECO firms adopt these technologies and adapt them to their own practice.
Autodesk University 2025 highlighted how the AECO sector is at a turning point. Labor shortages, project complexity, and sustainability demands are pressuring firms to rethink established practices. Incremental improvement is unlikely to be enough. The shift toward connected, AI-assisted workflows is accelerating.
Through developments such as Forma’s expansion, neural CAD, and digital twin tools, Autodesk presented its vision of how the AECO industry cloud could take shape. The coming years will show how quickly firms can adapt these capabilities to their own projects and processes.
For practitioners, the takeaway is that digital platforms are becoming more connected, more data-driven, and more reliant on collaboration. Firms that can integrate these approaches effectively will be better positioned to manage complexity and deliver resilient outcomes.
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