Elevator World and FIELDBOSS survey finds industry views AI as workforce multiplier amid critical labor shortages; remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance emerge as top priorities
MOBILE, AL / ACCESS Newswire / January 27, 2026 / A comprehensive new survey of elevator industry professionals reveals a sector at a pivotal moment: while artificial intelligence interest is widespread, adoption remains uneven-with field technicians surprisingly outpacing corporate executives in AI tool usage.
The Elevator Industry AI Sentiment Survey, conducted by Elevator World & FIELDBOSS in late 2025, found that 33% of technicians are actively using AI tools, compared to just 14% of consultants and 20% of service companies.
The survey, which gathered responses from hundreds of industry stakeholders across North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and other regions, underscores a central theme: the elevator industry is turning to AI not to replace workers, but to address an escalating skilled labor crisis.
"Skilled labor shortages" emerged as the number-one challenge cited by service companies and consultants, while technicians identified "rising service costs" as their primary hurdle.
Key Findings
Among the survey's most significant findings:
High Interest, Uneven Adoption: Nearly half (47%) of elevator service companies expressed interest in AI but remain unsure how to proceed. Meanwhile, technicians-the professionals closest to the equipment-have embraced AI tools at more than twice the rate of consultants.
Operational Focus Over Experimentation: Remote diagnostics and repair guidance (cited by 33% of service companies) and predictive maintenance/downtime prevention (31%) emerged as the top AI opportunities. The industry is seeking measurable operational improvements, not abstract innovation.
Margin Protection Is Mission-Critical: Nearly 40% of service companies rated AI as "very important" for protecting profit margins, with rising service costs and equipment downtime creating urgent pressure to optimize operations.
Standardization Remains the Industry's Achilles' Heel: The lack of standardization across elevator manufacturers was cited as the top barrier to AI adoption by consultants (31%) and a leading concern across all respondent groups. Fragmented proprietary systems continue to impede technology deployment.
"This survey confirms what we've been hearing from elevator contractors for years: the industry isn't looking for moonshot technology-they want practical tools that solve real problems today," said Jonathan Taub, President of FIELDBOSS. "Remote diagnostics, technician guidance systems, and predictive maintenance are not future concepts-they're operational necessities. The companies that embrace these tools now will have a significant competitive advantage as labor constraints intensify."
"For more than seven decades, Elevator World has tracked the evolution of vertical transportation technology, and this survey confirms a critical shift: AI isn't a futuristic concept; it is an active, operational upgrade happening right now in the hoistway," said T. Bruce MacKinnon, President of Elevator World. "We are seeing a clear demand for tools that solve immediate pain points. When technicians prioritize troubleshooting guidance and code referencing over abstract features, they are telling us that they need AI to be a 'digital wrench' that helps them close tickets faster and reduce callbacks."
Supply Chain Sees AI as Path to Standardization
The survey also revealed divergent perspectives within the industry. More than 70% of supply chain participants believe they would benefit from AI tools that encourage contractors to standardize on their products-a finding that suggests AI may become a strategic lever for ecosystem influence, not just internal efficiency.
Technicians, meanwhile, demonstrated notably pragmatic priorities: troubleshooting guidance (28%), training and upskilling modules (24%), and code/regulation reference (21%) topped their list of desired AI capabilities. Concerns about prediction reliability and inconsistent manufacturer standards ranked higher than cost or surveillance worries for this group.
The Path Forward: Targeted Pilots Over Big Bets
The survey findings favor incremental, evidence-based deployment. Industry stakeholders across roles indicated a preference for targeted pilots tied to service-level agreements, uptime metrics, and labor efficiency-with clear ROI benchmarks and cross-brand compatibility.
For building owners and investors, the survey suggests prioritizing partners who can quantify gains in uptime and maintenance efficiency. For contractors and service firms, the focus should be on workflows that reduce rework and make every technician more effective.
The complete Elevator Industry AI Sentiment Survey report, including detailed breakdowns by respondent type, data visualizations, and role-specific recommendations, is available for download at www.fieldboss.com/resources/downloads/elevator-industry-ai-sentiment-survey/.
About Elevator World, Inc.
Founded in 1953, Elevator World, Inc. is the leading global media and information source for the building-transportation industry. Headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, with correspondents around the world, Elevator World publishes a suite of international magazines and digital platforms serving professionals in the elevator, escalator, and vertical-transportation sectors. Through its publications, online directories, educational resources, and continuing-education programs, Elevator World connects more than 900,000 industry professionals annually.
For more information, visit www.elevatorworld.com.
About FIELDBOSS
FIELDBOSS is an end-to-end field service platform purpose-built for elevator contractors. The platform translates the realities of elevator service-routes and dispatch, callbacks, inspections, modernization projects, contracts, and compliance-into one connected system. From customer and contract management to mobile work orders, parts inventory, job costing, and billing, FIELDBOSS centralizes the full lifecycle of elevator service while maintaining complete digital documentation for audits, renewals, and owner reporting.
For more information, visit www.fieldboss.com.
Media Contacts
Angela Baldwin
Elevator World
Editor/VP of Editorial
+1.251.479.4514, Ext. 30
angie@elevatorworld.com
Corry Greenbaum
FIELDBOSS
Marketing Manager
1-647-905-6888
corry.greenbaum@rimrock.com
SOURCE: Elevator World
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/industrial-and-manufacturing/new-survey-reveals-elevator-industry-poised-for-ai-transformation-with-1129184
