Every year, tens of thousands of HVACR professionals converge at the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration (AHR) Exposition to talk chillers, boilers, coils, and compressors.
Dubbed (by us) the “Superbowl of HVAC,” AHR is the largest annual trade show in the industry—a global masterclass-meets-marketplace where innovation takes center stage. This year, from February 10-12, the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, pulsed with energy as AI and automation dominated discussions. At the heart of it all stood a modest 10x10 booth that drew an outsized share of attention. The words on everyone's lips? "Automation," "AI," and "ARIA."
Between fielding nonstop demos, we managed to slip into education sessions, explore neighbouring booths, and connect with industry experts to collect the top five takeaways from the event that helps shapes the future of our built environment.
1. AI and automation are here to stay
If last year’s conversations revolved around whether AI was a worthwhile investment, this year’s tone was decidedly different. The industry has clearly moved from asking "Should we adopt AI?" to "How do we maximize its potential?"
“This year felt different at AHR. The shift in mindset was palpable. In my nearly five years at BrainBox AI, I’ve never seen this level of excitement around AI and automation. Our team was run off their feet every day at the booth. Everyone wanted to interact with our demos and their reactions were consistent: ‘Why on earth wouldn’t we take the latest tech used in other industries and apply it to buildings?’ and ‘Why wasn’t this done sooner?’ It felt like we’d really hit a turning point in how building management perceives this technology.” — Blake Standen, Director of Technical Sales, BrainBox AI
In short, it appears that HVACR pros are increasingly less wary of AI and are actively seeking ways to integrate it into their operations. After all, if other industries (like healthcare, customer service, and agriculture) are reaping the benefits of AI-driven automation, why should the built environment be any different?
2. AI is becoming more mainstream
The AI learning curve is shrinking, and companies arrived at AHR ready to implement AI, not just explore it. As the industry moves beyond curiosity, the focus is now on seamless integration and real-time interaction.
In a panel discussion on whether autonomous buildings can become a reality with AI, Passive Logic CEO - Troy Harvey - emphasized how large language models (LLMs) are simplifying AI integration, making it easier for businesses to deploy intelligent systems across industries at scale.
This shift in thinking wasn’t just reflected on stage—it was visible right there on the expo floor, where everyone was eager to demo BrainBox AI’s virtual building engineer, ARIA.
“This year was different. People weren’t coming up to our booth and asking, ‘What is ARIA?’—they already knew. Instead, they had specific, well-informed questions. They wanted to know how ARIA integrates with their existing systems, how quickly they could see ROI, and what the implementation process looked like.” — Aaron Franczyk, Senior Director of Business Development, BrainBox AI
“People were walking up, looking at ARIA, and saying, ‘I get it. I need it. Where do I sign up?’ The value proposition of ARIA is immediately apparent, and the level of education required to get people on board is significantly lower thanks to greater AI literacy.” — Omar Tabba, Chief Product Officer, BrainBox AI
BrainBox AI’s ARIA an always-on expert AI agent that delivers deep building insights, empowering facility managers to make smarter, faster decisions.
3. AI-driven facilities must be adaptable
Another key theme that emerged throughout the conference was adaptability. As Danielle Radden, Director of Growth at Facil.ai, put it in her discussion on autonomous buildings:
“Each building is a snowflake, but beneath the surface, buildings are made up of structured data patterns, and AI thrives on recognizing and learning from these patterns.”
However, for AI-driven buildings to be truly successful, her fellow panelists agreed, flexible infrastructure is needed—modular systems that can integrate new technologies without requiring costly overhauls. And that’s where solutions like BrainBox AI’s Cloud BMS come in.
Cloud BMS is a next-generation, AI-powered control platform that enables building managers to move beyond legacy, hardware-dependent systems. Instead of being tied to on-premises BMS configurations, Cloud BMS leverages AI to dynamically adjust and optimize building performance in real time—without requiring a major infrastructure overhaul. This adaptability ensures that today’s innovations don’t become tomorrow’s roadblocks, allowing facilities the flexibility to evolve as technology advances.
“Traditional BMS solutions are limited by their physical infrastructure. Cloud BMS changes the game by making building management scalable, flexible, and accessible from anywhere. It’s a huge leap forward for the industry.” — Sam Ramadori, VP, Head of BrainBox AI Commercialization
4. AI is nothing without good data
Where the consensus was that AI was an inevitability in the built environment, a tangential message rang clear throughout the expo halls: AI is only as good as the data it processes. For AI to function effectively, it needs structured, high-quality data that enables machine learning algorithms to identify trends, make predictions, and automate processes with precision.
Additionally, while AI is helping collect more data than ever before, organizations now face a new challenge: Data fatigue. With a flood of sensors and endless streams of analytics, companies often struggle to translate raw data into actionable insights. That's why, moving forward, intelligent data consolidation will be crucial. AI solutions must go beyond simply collecting information—they must provide clear, digestible, and impactful recommendations that drive tangible results.
To that effect, as AI continues to shape the industry, data scientists could become central to building management, ensuring AI systems receive reliable, real-time data that allows them to evolve, adapt, and make informed decisions.
5. Decarbonization is no longer a choice
Decarbonization was another major focus at AHR this year. More than ever, AI is being recognized as a critical tool in the transition to a low-carbon future—from intelligent energy management to predictive maintenance, AI is helping organizations cut emissions while optimizing efficiency.
In a talk on Decarbonization and New Energy Management Opportunities, speakers made it clear that utility bills alone are no longer enough to measure sustainability progress. Instead, organizations need granular, real-time energy data to make more informed energy efficiency decisions, and AI is making it easier than ever to unify and optimize energy performance across entire building portfolios.
The financial incentives are aligning, too. Hot topics of debate were the Section 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deductions and investment tax credits, which are encouraging businesses to rethink their energy strategies. Meanwhile, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are pushing for greater transparency and accountability across the industry. Europe was given as an example of setting the standard in this regard, with countries like France implementing mandatory energy benchmarking to ensure compliance and efficiency.
6. The future is automated—And it’s also right here, right now
At the end of the day, AHR 2025 confirmed what many in the industry suspected: AI isn’t a novelty anymore. It’s an expectation.
This was evident in expert-led discussions, but also in the real-world discussion happening at booths across the expo floor. The conversation has moved beyond if AI belongs in building management to how to implement it, scale it, and maximize its impact – and how can it help us create more comfortable, more sustainable, more energy efficient spaces.
"AHR left me both exhausted and energized. It’s an exciting time to be part of this industry -we’re witnessing AI literally rewrite the future of building management in real time." – Julie Hardesty, Channel Marketing Manager, BrainBox AI
See how BrainBox AI is driving the shift in AI-powered building management.
