by Bill Kristan, Senior Consultant, Intelligent Buildings
Stay up to date on the latest news in the commercial real estate (CRE) industry.
Critical Flaws Threaten Building Automation Systems
Thirteen critical vulnerabilities were identified that can threaten BAS around Tritium Niagara. Attackers on the same network can gain root-level access here, which underlines the need for patching, segmentation, cyber hygiene, and the potential for cascading operational disruptions. Read more.
From More Guards to AI Weapon Detection Devices, Office Landlords Respond to New York Tower Shooting
After the New York City shooting, there are more armed guards and more physical security being placed on site. Owners are exploring new types of security platforms that they can integrate to make their properties safer. They want to integrate security with access control and elevators for faster lockdowns. Post-incident tenant reassurance is very critical as part of physical measures, and the implication here is that the cost of security is bound to increase for owners. Read more.
Legionnaires’ Outbreak Exposes Gaps in Water Safety Tech
Legionnaires outbreaks remain a threat in buildings with inconsistent water management techniques, especially in towers and plumbing systems in those towers. There are advanced monitoring and disinfection technologies that exist but are underutilized. This is another level of risk and liability for owners when they’re trying to keep their tenants safe. Read more.
Cities and Waste Facility Operators Turn To AI for Recycling Education Revamp
Cities are turning to AI for recycling education using cameras and apps that detect contamination and can guide user sorting in real time. Some of the facilities that have been tested are reporting up to a 35% reduction in recycling and waste management worker injuries, and also higher material recovery from out of the waste stream. The municipal pilots demonstrated in Los Angeles and some other cities show a high investment return. This is another application of AI in the building world, demonstrating how it can transform sustainability efforts with some public education and AI capabilities. Read more.
NYC Offices Are Back. Nothing Proves It More Than JPMorgan’s $3 Billion Tower.
In July 2025, foot traffic reached the pre-pandemic levels; specifically, levels have risen 1.3% above occupancy levels in 2019. One of the biggest projects to deliver in NYC will be taking occupancy in October: JPMorgan Chase’s new $3 billion tower. This is a big indicator that return-to-office mandates have been working, as commercial real estate and office occupancies are back. Read more.
Hackers Hijacked Google’s Gemini AI With A Poisoned Calendar Invite To Take Over a Smart Home
Hackers used Google Gemini to infiltrate smart home tools and sabotage an apartment building in Tel Aviv, Israel. This was done during the Black Hat Conference and shines a light on promptware attacks on systems that aren’t resilient to AI takeover. It’s critical to be increasingly aware that these attacks can happen as people connect their homes, apartments, and office building devices and controls to AI software. Read more.
Big Tech’s AI Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills For Everyone
Energy, mainly from AI data centers, is driving up consumer electricity bills. U.S. households are forecasted to experience an increase of about 30% in energy bills as data centers are projected to use 12% of the nation’s electricity in the next few years.
As utilities are struggling to pay for these increases in power and infrastructure investments, there’s a big question about who’s responsible for those investments: the companies investing in AI or the consumers using energy? Read more.
