Hot Topic Highlight – RICS Professional Standard Responsible Use of AI in Surveying Practice
- Jen Lemen
- Dec 2, 2025
- 7 min read
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What is this blog about?
In this week’s blog, we look at the RICS Professional Standard Responsible Use of AI in Surveying Practice 1st Edition.
This is essential reading for all RICS AssocRICS and APC candidates, as well as students, qualified surveyors and anyone responsible for practice management of a RICS Regulated Firm.
In support of the new guidance, RICS Acting President Elect, Maureen Ehrenberg, stated:
‘Artificial intelligence offers real promise to the surveying profession - but only if used responsibly and ethically. This standard ensures surveyors remain at the forefront of innovation while protecting clients, data, and public trust. It supports the profession’s adaptation to rapidly advancing technologies while reinforcing the core role of the surveyor - to provide trusted, independent, and ethical advice. This initiative reflects RICS’s broader mission to uphold the highest technical and ethical standards across the built and natural environment, ensuring innovation is aligned with the public interest’.
You can download a full copy of the Professional Standard here.
When is the guidance effective from?
9 March 2026.
How is the guidance structured?
The guidance is structured into five key sections;
Introduction
Baseline knowledge for using AI in surveying
Practice management
Using AI
Development of AI
What is AI defined as by RICS?
RICS have adopted the following definition of AI:
‘A machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. Different AI systems vary in their levels of autonomy and adaptiveness after deployment’.
RICS further acknowledges that AI comes in many different forms and may be part of a wider technological solution.
The Professional Standard specifically relates to AI outputs that ‘have a material impact on the delivery of surveying services’. Where this is the case, the RICS Member or Regulated Firm must record in writing the decision to use AI and why this decision was made.
Why has the guidance been published?
With the rapid growth and evolution of AI, RICS have needed to clarify their position on it’s use within the surveying profession.
RICS start by saying that they are supportive of the use of AI that drives the profession forward, provided that this use is balanced with the inherent risk of these systems. The use of AI, therefore, needs to be responsible and in the public interest.
Through the new Professional Standard, RICS aim to:
Upskill the surveying profession in the responsible use of AI
Minimise the risk of harm through the use of AI
Enable informed decisions to be made on the procurement of AI and the reliance on the outputs of AI systems
Explain the use and risks of AI with clients and other key stakeholders
Provide a framework for the use of AI by surveyors
What is the baseline knowledge required for the use of AI in surveying?
This is the core of section 2 of the Professional Standard.
Where AI is deployed, surveyors must have sufficient, relevant knowledge to enable responsible use of the systems.
This includes:
Different types of AI system
How AI systems work
Limitations of AI systems
Failure modes (i.e., why an AI system might fail to perform it’s specific function)
Risks and why an AI system might produce an erroneous output
Inherent risk of bias
Data use and data risks
What is best practice in relation to practice management and the use of AI?
RICS cover a variety of topics in relation to practice management and AI, including data governance, system governance and risk management.
Key ways to ensure proper practice management around the use of AI include:
Clear policies and procedures around procurement and responsible use
Risk identification in the early stages of AI adoption
Safeguarding of private and confidential data, e.g., encryption, back-ups, restricting access, staff training, anonymisation and consent
Written assessment to consider whether the use of AI is the most appropriate tool in the particular circumstances
Regularly reviewing any written assessments around the use of specific AI systems
Written risk register recording which AI systems are in use (see sections 3.2 and 3.3 for full details of what is required) and the related risks. This could be accompanied by a SWOT or PESTEL analysis
What do RICS say about the use of AI systems?
RICS Regulated Firms must carry out comprehensive due diligence before AI systems are adopted for use. See Section 4.1 for a full list of what must be considered before an AI system can be formally adopted for use.
RICS also confirm that surveyors must use their professional judgement in relation to the reliability of outputs from AI systems. This includes using your knowledge, skills, experience and professional scepticism – a term that valuation surveyors will already be aware of from the latest edition of the Red Book.
The decision around the reliability of the AI system must be recorded in writing, with assumptions and any concerns explicitly stated. Section 4.2 provides a full list of what needs to be considered and documented.
RICS Regulated Firms and Members will need to adapt their terms of engagement if an AI system is adopted. This will include when AI will be used within the surveying process, the extend of Professional Indemnity Insurance cover for the use of the AI system, relevant internal quality assurance processes around the use of AI, redress mechanisms in the event of a client concern and opting out.
Clients will also be able to request further information of the use of AI in the delivery of their contracted surveying services. Section 4.4 confirms what written information may be requested by a client, as a minimum.
What does RICS say about the development of AI systems?
Some surveyors and firms may decide to develop their own AI systems, rather than adopting those developed by third parties.
All provisions of the Professional Standard equally adopt to the development of AI systems as they do to the adoption of AI systems. RICS outline a number of additional provisions in Section 5 that need to be considered and recording in writing, such as writing a sustainability impact assessment for the proposed AI system, recording stakeholder involvement and introducing sufficient policies and processes.
Finally, in the spirit of AI…
We asked ChatGPT to summarise the RICS Professional Standard. This is what it had to say (in it's original, un-amended glory) - see how this compares to Jen's human summary above!
Purpose
Supports adoption of AI in surveying while addressing risks to professionalism, clients, and reputation.
Balances innovation with responsibility, keeping professional judgement central.
Provides a framework for competence, governance, client transparency, and accountability.
Scope
Applies globally to RICS members and regulated firms.
Focuses mainly on use of third-party AI systems, but also covers AI developed in-house.
Applies only where AI outputs have a material impact on surveying services.
If conflicts arise with local law, legislation takes precedence, but must be documented.
Core Requirements
Baseline Knowledge
Members must understand AI types, limitations, failure modes, risks of error/bias, and data risks.
Practice Management
Data governance: protect private/confidential data; anonymise where possible; only upload data with consent.
System governance: assess whether AI is the right tool; keep a register of AI systems in use; implement policies for responsible use.
Risk management: maintain a risk register (bias, erroneous outputs, data issues); update quarterly; use RAG ratings or similar.
Using AI
Procurement/due diligence: request written information from suppliers (datasets, bias, liability, compliance, environmental impact).
Outputs: apply professional judgement, record reliability assessments, conduct dip-sampling for high-volume use.
Client communication: disclose AI use in terms of engagement; cover liability, redress, and opt-out options.
Explainability: provide clients, on request, with information about the system, due diligence, risks, and reliability decisions.
Developing AI
Document application, risks/benefits, and alternatives.
Conduct sustainability and data quality assessments.
Ensure compliance with confidentiality and data laws.
Involve diverse stakeholders and obtain necessary permissions for data use.
Effective date
9 March 2026
👉 In essence: RICS requires its members to use AI responsibly by maintaining knowledge, applying strong governance, managing risks, ensuring transparency with clients, and documenting decisions. Professional judgement must remain central, and AI must not replace accountability.
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N.b. Nothing in this article constitutes legal, professional or financial advice.
