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A new AI-powered tool called Toby will give plumbers, gas fitters and drainlayers access to critical building standards and regulations at their fingertips.
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk and Master Plumbers announced a pilot of the tool, available for up to 200 users, at the membership organisation’s annual conference held in Hamilton today.
Toby is a purpose-built AI chatbot, powered by the same underlying technology as ChatGPT but trained exclusively on New Zealand's plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying regulations and standards. It allows practitioners to ask a question in plain language and quickly locate the relevant information to comply with regulatory requirements.
For example, the maximum temperature of hot water from a tap in schools compared to other buildings.
Currently, practitioners have to conduct manual searches in lengthy documents.
Master Plumbers Chief Executive Greg Wallace says Toby transforms this process into a fast, accessible and user-friendly experience.
“Toby can be used anywhere, at any time. Whether practitioners are checking a requirement, confirming their work is compliant or demonstrating the basis for a decision to an inspector or client, they now have the information they need at their fingertips.
“They will no longer be bogged down trying to find the right clause in the right document and can focus on getting on with the job, saving money and time.”
Wallace says the tool will drive productivity in the building and construction sector while also strengthening compliance outcomes.
“Ready access to trusted technical information gives consumers and practitioners confidence that work is completed safely and meets industry standards for Kiwi homes and businesses.”
Toby is more accurate and reliable than using generic AI tools because it is trained with current legislation, rules and regulations and will not generate a result based on old or inconsistent material.
There have been some challenging hurdles to get to this point, Wallace says.
“Master Plumbers has worked hard to navigate standards licensing, copyright and access issues with Standards New Zealand and Standards Australia. We are pleased to get the green light and co-funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment for an initial pilot that has the support of all parties involved.”
Master Plumbers has already received strong interest in Toby and believes the pilot is going to be a success, Wallace says.
“We will be engaging with the Government and interested parties to advocate for wider access to Toby and secure funding to support this tool beyond the pilot stage.”
Register Your Interest
Listen to the RNZ Nine to Noon interview about Toby with CEO Greg Wallace.