Artificial intelligence is changing the surveying profession, but what does it mean for professional indemnity insurance and risk?

In this episode, Nina Young speaks with Nick Rains from Howden Insurance Brokers about how AI is reshaping the insurance landscape. They discuss how AI is making it easier for complaints and formal claims to be generated, along with the importance of AI governance, professional indemnity insurance, and clear policies as AI becomes part of everyday practice.

This conversation offers practical insights to help surveyors and firms understand the risks, opportunities, and responsibilities that come with adopting AI.


What We Cover

• Professional indemnity insurance explained
• AI-generated complaints and claims
• Why surveyors are seeing more client queries
• How insurers assess AI risk
• AI governance and compliance
• Shadow AI within surveying firms
• Graduate skills and future recruitment
• AI as a quality checking tool
• Risk management and record keeping
• The future of AI within surveying
  
  

Guest Links

Howden Insurance Brokers – https://www.howdengroup.com/uk-en

Guest Bio

Nick Rains is Senior Contract and Wordings Executive at Howden Insurance Brokers. He advises surveyors, architects, engineers and other construction professionals on professional indemnity insurance, contractual risk and policy wordings. Alongside his insurance expertise, Nick has developed a strong interest in artificial intelligence and its impact on professional practice, governance and risk management across the built environment.

This episode is sponsored by Rebuild Cost UK, a pay-as-you-go rebuild cost calculator built for residential surveyors. No subscriptions, no annual contracts, you only pay when you run a calculation. Try your very first calculation free at rebuildcost.uk.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn

Conservation and sustainability aren't opposites. They're two sides of the same coin.

Dr Samantha Organ, associate professor at the University of the West of England and a building surveyor working across heritage, sustainability and consultancy, joins Nina Young to explain why.

This conversation explores climate resilience and the future of historic buildings. It also touches on the graduate shortage reshaping surveying salaries, why she stays in both academia and practice, and where AI quietly undermines the critical thinking the job depends on.

What We Cover

• Samantha's journey into surveying
• Women in the profession
• Academia and industry working together
• Heritage and conservation projects
• National Trust experiences
• Climate resilience and overheating
• Sustainable buildings and retrofit
• AI and critical thinking
• Graduate shortages
• Why building surveying offers incredible variety

Guest Links

Dr Samantha Organ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-samantha-organ-frics-amice-44246b16/

SO Associates: https://www.so-associates.co.uk/

Useful Links

University of the West of England: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/

How to Close the Authority Gap | Mary Ann Sieghart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJcYAqNfgtA

Guest Bio

Dr Samantha Organ is an Associate Professor at the University of the West of England and a chartered building surveyor with extensive experience across heritage conservation, sustainability, research and professional practice. Her career has included senior roles within the National Trust, private consultancy and academia, where she combines practical surveying with teaching and research. Samantha is passionate about climate resilience, historic buildings, developing future surveyors and helping the profession prepare for the challenges facing the built environment.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn

Recruitment isn't just about finding the next job.

Roger Dunning has spent 24 years placing surveyors, and he's noticed the same pattern every time. The ones who get furthest aren't chasing the next job, they're building what he calls "career capital."

In this episode, Nina Young talks to Roger, founder of HD Surveyors, about why broad experience beats early specialism, why chartership is a non-negotiable badge to employers, and why Roger sees the best recruiters as career advisers, not CV distributors.

A grounded, practical look at building a surveying career on purpose.

What We Cover

• Roger's recruitment journey
• Career strategy versus job hopping
• Why breadth of experience creates opportunity
• Candidate-led recruitment in surveying
• Communication skills that employers value
• Graduate recruitment and first impressions
• AI and recruitment
• Chartership and APC support
• Career capital and long-term planning
• What good recruiters really do

Guest Links

Roger Dunning: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rogerdunning

HD Surveyors: https://hdsurveyors.com/

Useful Links

Salary & Career Satisfaction Survey: https://survey.hdsurveyors.com/2026-salary-survey

Guest Bio

Roger Dunning is the founder of HD Surveyors and has worked in recruitment for more than 24 years. He specialises in recruiting building surveyors, quantity surveyors and project managers across the UK. Throughout his career he has helped hundreds of professionals build successful careers by focusing on long-term strategy rather than short-term job moves. Roger is passionate about career development, chartership, mentoring and helping surveyors make informed decisions that increase their long-term value in the profession.

If you want to connect with surveyors across the UK and keep up with the profession, join The Surveying Room. It is free to join and open to all types of surveyors, students, and professionals who work with them. Surveyors UK & The Surveying Room

Connect with me - Nina Young on LinkedIn