INTRODUCTION
The construction sector is coming lately in the adoption cycle due to its characteristics. 1 infer that poor, unclear and dis-jointed information, segmentation into silos the interest of stakeholders, duplication of efforts, non-alignment of interest with objectives, mismanagement of resources have contributed to inefficiency and waste which require re-orientation and re-drafting of business models. There is an urgent need to adopt modern business models either in conjunction with the conventional ones or jettison the conventional methods in its entirety as the case may demand. Different technological advancement has been employed in construction. Right from the beginning of civilisation around 1800, when steam engine became the major driving force for industries, to the second industrial age when electricity was discovered. During this period, electrification was employed to accelerate and automate production processes 2 . With the advent of the third industrial revolution in the 1970s; further advancement was made on electronics and information technology. During this period, extensive use of computers and internet facilities became widespread with human labour gradually replaced with machines.
The current dispensation, tagged ‘industry 4.0’ is an era of information technologies and the advent of machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI). According to 3 & 4 , the introduction of AI is a great difference between the fourth industrial revolution and the third. Artificial intelligence describes a technology whereby work processes that would require a great deal of intelligence if performed by human beings are taken over by machines, commonly referred to as ‘intelligent agents’. These intelligent agents deploy systems that perceive the surroundings and take actions that maximise the chances of success (5 ; 6 ). Through the development of theories, methods, procedures, techniques, applications on intelligence, machines are enhanced to perform complex tasks. The machines after programming through computer systems are equipped with the ability to behave, reason, learn, communicate and act in complex environments and therefore perform in a better way, tasks that demand intelligent human intervention (7;8; 9 ; 3 ).
Artificial intelligence require machines programming, however, with ‘machine learning’ (ML), a step ahead of AI, machines are not programmed but become cognitive, having learnt autonomously acquiring computing skills (10 ). Thus, with AI and ML, tasks are semi-automated or fully-automated, that is numerically controlled on-site or off site (11 ). Automation in the industry started about four decades ago. This was initiated to reduce safety and health challenges and hindrances in working with chemicals or radioactive elements, remote job sites, highly contaminated jobsites and high-risk environments (12 ). AI has a number of tools, divisions or domains for different activities.6 submitted that AI has been employed in a number of fields as artificial neural networks (ANN), Genetic Algorithms (GA), case-based reasoning (CBR), fuzzy theory, game theory (GT) and Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). These are further categorised as formal tasks (such a mathematics and games) and expert tasks (such as scientific and precision analyses in the realms of engineering and medicine). In the fields of construction and engineering, genetic algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy logics, expert system, natural language, robotics, computer vision, case-based reasoning, k-means clustering, qualitative reasoning model and so on have been successfully integrated to ease production and management systems. Some of the applications of AI in the fields of engineering and construction abound in the literature (11 ;13 ). For competitive advantage and sustainability, leadership is important, so also is firm resources and capability, this study thus looks at the culture and strategy of firms from leadership perspective with a view to promoting and instilling cultural orientation and strategy for BIM and automation among indigenous construction firms.