WSP empowers engineers and scientists with Microsoft 365 Copilot

WSP brings together engineering, advisory, and science-based expertise to shape communities to advance humanity.

Accelerating an industry-wide productivity leap

The Architecture, Engineering & Construction industry is one of precision, regulation, and responsibility. For decades, the industry has consistently delivered outstanding achievements, yet overall productivity levels have remained largely constant for more than fifty years. With the rapid rise of AI, WSP saw an opportunity to break that plateau.

Chadi Habib explains, “We’re at a turning point. AI and emerging technologies are beginning to unlock a step-change in productivity for our industry. As part of our partnership with Microsoft, we’re fully committed to driving this transformative shift.”

With Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Copilot Studio WSP is rewriting productivity rules, starting with giving engineers and scientists valuable time back. That saved time creates new opportunities. Employees will have more hours to collaborate with clients and reinvest their time in training and upskilling.

Chadi Habib says, “Our Visioneers can keep growing, becoming even better engineers and scientists equipped to tackle the complex challenges our clients and communities want to solve.”

Delivering real-world impact faster

More than four fifths (84%) of WSP Copilot users who respond to a regular survey about the tool confirm they are saving time every day. Key use cases include: automating repetitive tasks; improving grammar and clarity in emails and documents; finding answers and information quickly; aiding multi-language comms and translation; assisting with coding, including PowerShell, T-SQL, Kusto and Excel formulas.

WSP’s ongoing AI transformation extends far beyond internal efficiencies. The firm is already seeing tangible outcomes on the ground, particularly in the transport sector in South America.

WSP delivers large-scale infrastructure programs – metro lines, subways, high-speed rail, and urban transit systems – each requiring rigorous compliance checks against hundreds or even thousands of variables before opening to the public. These final validations can take weeks, months, and sometimes quarters to complete, depending on the complexity.

“In one of our recent South American transportation projects, we piloted an approach that demonstrated that, if applied, the teams could have completed the final validation phase in just 10 to 15 percent of the usual cycle time,” shares Chadi Habib. “We hope to scale these efficiencies to other projects in the future all while remaining non-negotiable on quality management.”

That acceleration speeds up community impact, enabling safer, more efficient infrastructure to open sooner.

Anchoring AI in responsibility

In Canada, every graduating engineer receives an iron ring – a symbolic reminder of the duty that comes with shaping the world through design. The same sense of non-negotiable accountability defines how WSP approaches AI.

“We’re deploying AI with responsibility in mind,” says Chadi Habib. “Our framework aims to align with the EU AI Act, built around four principles that are non-negotiable.”

Each of these principles guides how WSP applies AI across its business:

• Innovation-friendly – enabling teams to move quickly, experiment safely, and learn through real-world application.

• Proportional – confirming risk management scales with the potential impact of each project.

• Transparent – maintaining openness with clients and communities about how AI is used and where it adds value.

• Human-centric – keeping health, safety, and human rights at the heart of every decision.

“We embrace the idea of ‘tech in the middle’,” adds Chadi. “Our engineers and scientists stay accountable for what goes into these models – and for what comes out – because the consequences matter.”

Every project is an opportunity

Across every project, WSP envisions what’s next and brings that to life through technical know-how and innovation. 

This mindset drives WSP to constantly explore new frontiers, applying AI and advanced engineering to some of the world’s most complex challenges. One ambitious example is now emerging in the mining sector.

Most mines in the world produce tailings – the waste materials left after valuable minerals are extracted. Managing those tailings safely and in accordance with environmental regulations is a massive responsibility for mining companies and a significant cost. As the engineer of record for many of the world’s largest miners, WSP is working with Microsoft to completely reimagine how tailings could be managed in the future.

“These mines operate for 50 to 100 years and generate thousands of data points – inspections, assessments, and government regulations,” explains Chadi Habib. “Analyzing all of that data interactively with AI models, we can identify patterns and opportunities that support more informed decisions which can contribute to reduced climate risk, improved financial resilience, and enhanced environmental safeguards.”

A future where institutional knowledge is not just preserved but amplified

WSP sees the world through a Future Ready® lens, fueled by a shared commitment to making a positive impact – one project and one community at a time.

Beyond its current achievements, the company continues to explore how Copilot can unlock new value, multiplying collective brilliance and capturing and sharing knowledge at scale.

“We’re testing this idea in the field with about 300 engineers and scientists,” explains Chadi Habib. “They’re interacting with AI tools to train them, so that the system can eventually provide instant and always-on answers to technical questions, based on the knowledge of our expert senior specialists across a range of disciplines. That means our younger engineers and scientists can access that collective brilliance more easily and deliver value to clients and communities faster.”

Looking ahead, WSP sees immense potential in using AI to analyze vast datasets and identify insights that would otherwise take humans significant time to uncover.

“Imagine feeding dozens of variables – climate data, transportation data, historic fire and accident data – into a single municipal model,” says Chadi. “Through deep learning, we can start predicting events at a street level, such as identifying intersections where accidents are more likely to occur or areas more vulnerable to fires and take action before they happen.”

For WSP, AI is a catalyst for a better world.

Chadi Habib concludes, “We’re excited that Microsoft has chosen to co-invest with us in modernizing an industry that’s ripe for transformation. It’s not just about better business results – the planet needs it. From infrastructure modernization to energy transition and climate resilience, AI helps us accelerate progress where it matters most.”

Guiding principles for peers

WSP offers a practical, experience-based perspective on AI transformation.

1. Democratize innovation and move quickly
   Empower teams to experiment with AI. Real progress often starts with small, focused initiatives that make daily work easier.

2. Innovate where it matters, and where results show fast
   Always start with the value. Identify one or two areas, ideally with clients, where AI can drive clear results, prove impact early, then scale thoughtfully while staying focused on what brings measurable outcomes.

3. Let go of low-impact initiatives
   Not every initiative will deliver high impact, and that’s okay. Be ready to pause when something isn’t adding value. Focus your time, investment, and creativity on projects that create real change.

By combining agility with accountability, and curiosity with purpose, organizations can build an innovation culture that lasts, just as WSP is doing with Microsoft to shape a smarter, more sustainable world.

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