Autodesk unveils AI-driven updates for design, construction & media

Autodesk has announced a range of new products and initiatives aimed at advancing capacity and productivity in design, manufacturing, construction, and media sectors.

The announcements include updates to core platforms such as Forma and Fusion, the rollout of new AI-powered tools across industries, and further investments aimed at delivering integrated cloud experiences to customers worldwide.

Integrated cloud for AECO

Autodesk Forma has been introduced as an end-to-end industry cloud designed to unify planning, design, construction, and operations. The platform connects all phases of project development within a single cloud environment. A case highlighted by Autodesk involved teams working on Denver International Airport, where more than 400 contractors and subcontractors collaborated through Forma. The unified workflow provided a central experience from design through construction, helping teams track new developments and improvements visually and interactively.

Autodesk stated, "Forma connects design, construction, and operations in one cloud environment. The team supporting Denver International Airport used Forma. By leveraging this end-to-end workflow, over 400 contractors and subcontractors collaborate in one central experience from design through to construction – helpings teams track new developments and improvements in a visual and interactive way."

Forma is described as the first truly unified environment for AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations). The latest updates bring Autodesk Construction Cloud into Forma, enabling a shift from traditional files to granular data that supports collaboration. The new Forma Building Design feature allows all project stakeholders to create detailed building models efficiently, while Forma Connected Clients offers access to shared, granular data from within existing desktop tools.

Fusion upgrades in manufacturing

Autodesk Fusion has seen new investments focused on introducing AI-powered tools for design and manufacturing. These upgrades include generative AI-powered editable geometry, which enables users to generate editable CAD models from a single prompt. Autodesk Assistant within Fusion supports collaborative workflows by automating sketch constraints and facilitating actions such as updating outdated drawings.

The experience of SwissDrones was cited as an example of the benefits of these enhancements. SwissDrones used Fusion to speed up the development of twin-rotor UAVs, employing cloud-based collaboration to accelerate schedules, reduce waste, and adapt to project requirements without compromising quality or compliance.

Autodesk commented, "Design and manufacturing is changing, with integrated PLM teams can now work in a continuous data thread from kick off to manufacturing. AI powered tools like Autodesk Assistant, conceptual design in Fusion, AutoContrain are transforming how teams onboard, design and engineer. SwissDrones used Fusion to accelerate development of their twin-rotor UAV's – working like a major aerospace company, but at a startup speed. Cloud-based collaboration helped them move faster, reduce waste and adapt to changing missions without sacrificing quality or compliance."

Media and entertainment AI

For the media and entertainment sector, Autodesk has furthered its AI strategy with the upcoming release of new AI tools aimed at automating traditionally manual processes. The Autodesk AI Assistant will automate tasks such as adjusting scene lighting, enabling creative professionals to iterate and direct scenes more efficiently. Additional tools including FaceAnimator and MotionMaker provide automated facial animation and motion generation, respectively. Autodesk Flow Studio, which uses AI for VFX tasks like motion capture and camera tracking, is now available in a free tier to support a wide range of creators.

"Autodesk flow studio empowers artists to animate, light and composite faster than ever. While Autodesk Assistant in Maya enables intuitive scene manipulation, Motion Maker in Maya and Face Animator dramatically reduce the time it takes to bring characters to life. Studios like Industrial Light & Magic, Boxel, Rising Sun Pictures are using these tools to meet tight deadlines without compromising quality."

Autodesk explained its AI mission within the industry, "The media and entertainment industry is under constant pressure to produce more at lower costs. Autodesk's AI strategy for Media & Entertainment is straightforward - build practical solutions to suit independent creators and major studios."

The AI-powered updates are intended to address the increasing demand for high-quality content on tighter schedules, aiming to unlock new possibilities for both independent and large-scale studio productions.

AI scaling and future workflow vision

Across all industries it serves, Autodesk is increasing its investment in AI infrastructure and automation. New infrastructure such as Model Context Protocol servers and a redesigned API model are intended to enable secure and scalable AI workflows.

The company emphasised its focus on practical AI integrations, noting, "Autodesk have spent over a decade building the infrastructure to scale AI. From Autodesk Assistant in design and make, to Model Context Protocol servers, Autodesk are focusing on delivering tools that understand geometry, behaviour and context."

Autodesk is preparing to integrate 3D generative AI foundation models into Forma and Fusion, describing these as "generative AI systems trained to directly reason about CAD objects, architectural systems, and industrial processes - offering a leap beyond traditional parametric CAD engines." This approach is expected to enable spontaneous creation from text prompts, streamline transitions from concept to detail, and provide customisation with proprietary data. These features aim to make design more intuitive, collaborative, and productive.

The company described its broader vision for AI across its product portfolio stating, "Artificial intelligence is evolving at unprecedented speed, with models that self-learn, adapt, and expand possibilities across industries. Autodesk is embracing this shift by reimagining work, committing to trust and transparency, and achieving governance milestones like ISO 42001."

Through these developments, Autodesk aims to provide its customers with more automation, improved collaboration, and new opportunities to increase output and efficiency, while maintaining the standards required across industries they serve.