AI was once a concept reserved for science fiction movies.

Now, the technology is impacting just about every industry, including the asphalt industry. While there’s plenty of doom and gloom going around, there are also positive stories of how AI tools are making a positive impact.

That’s why we interviewed Bryce Wuori, the CEO of Pavewise, a software company developing tools and tech for the asphalt industry. PavewisePro is their main software solution designed for field use, offering real-time data collection and communication tools that connect the lab, foreman, plant, and field crews—a much-needed bridge in our industry.

In this post, we share what we learned from Bryce, including:

• How Pavewise has grown
• Diving deep into the hot-button topic of AI
• How to attract a younger workforce to the industry

A Younger Workforce

Every conference we attend highlights AI, and the conversations are getting serious. For us at InstroTek, the focus is always on the workforce. How will AI affect, or even encourage, a younger generation to join our industry?

As Bryce informed us, today’s younger generation is already ingrained in technology. For them, it’s an extension of life. Handing a 20-year-old a pen and paper to record density readings is going to get a blank stare. Moving the industry toward advancements like AI and automation is a key strategy for attracting this tech-savvy group.

The statistics are sobering: 75 million Baby Boomers are expected to retire by 2030 (that’s 44% of the workforce!). We won't replace that number with new hires alone. Instead, Bryce sees AI and automated technologies as the tools to make the existing workforce more efficient. AI is an ultimate efficiency tool, particularly in an industry with many repetitive, data-heavy tasks. If a process is redundant and time-consuming, it’s a perfect candidate for AI optimization.

 

Navigating the Moral Compass of AI

While AI offers immense opportunities, our conversation quickly turned to the inevitable question of ethics and accuracy. AI is a tool without a moral compass; it doesn't inherently know right from wrong and can sometimes make mistakes or even be used to generate false data.

Bryce and the Pavewise team mitigate this risk by "vaulting" their information. Unlike open-source models, Pavewise's AI only communicates with the specific, trusted documents (like your spec books) that you feed it. This ensures that customers receive highly accurate data, minimizing the risk of "hallucination" from the open web.

The input data dictates the output. Bryce emphasized that the accuracy of the data is paramount, but managing potential bias is a constant learning process. As an industry and as a society, establishing a moral compass for AI is the next big step. However, as we saw with the rise of the internet, we must talk about it, get comfortable with it, and focus on the opportunities it presents for growth.

PavewisePro: AI in Action

So, what does this look like in the field? Bryce gave us a quick synopsis of PavewisePro: a centralized platform that uses AI and state specifications to analyze and communicate real-time data for compliance and process improvement.

The standout feature he demonstrated was Density+, which uses computer vision to solve the notorious "pen and paper" problem of density testing.

The old process (5 steps and a 12-24 hour process):

1. Take a reading off a gauge.
2. Manually write the result in a notebook.
3. Transfer that data to an Excel spreadsheet.
4. Email it to a manager.
5. Wait for feedback.

The PavewisePro process (2 steps and seconds):

1. Open the app and simply take a picture of the gauge.
2. Hit upload.

Density+ instantly analyzes the image, extracts the data, marks the exact location with a timestamp, and communicates the result to the entire team in real-time. If the reading falls below a required density (say, 93%), instant text notifications are sent out. This not only saves the density technician an hour a day in paperwork but also provides instant proof of work and helps managers make quicker, data-driven decisions. The field and the lab have operated in silos for too long. Pavewise changes that — creating real-time transparency and accountability from production to performance in seconds.

Legislation and the Future

Bryce noted that while state DOTs are traditionally hesitant, they are showing unprecedented speed in moving through the security and adoption process for AI-driven technologies. The political push is there, and our country is focused on staying ahead. There is a massive urgency for the construction industry to go digital and use technology to improve. The key is how we wield this new technology—using it to compress time, make people's lives easier, and allow us to do more with less.

Bryce's focus—and ours—is always on practical tools that make the job better. Want to learn more about PavewisePro? Check it out on the HMA store.

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