Inside the AI shift reshaping healthcare facilities management

Healthcare technology is under intense pressure to deliver safe, reliable, smart hospitals while keeping costs in check. The 2026 AI & Digitalization in Facilities Management Report for Healthcare shows that artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in facilities management, but expansion is measured and strategic.

According to the report, 65% of healthcare facility managers (FMs) are already using AI in healthcare to improve facility operations – almost on par with other industries. Yet only 48% plan to implement a new AI solution in the next year, compared with 65% of non-healthcare peers. That gap signals a critical insight for anyone asking how AI is used in healthcare facilities: adoption is high, but every new deployment must meet stringent expectations for safety, compliance and reliability.

To see how leading healthcare organizations are navigating digitalization, integrated systems and energy intelligence, Johnson Controls surveyed healthcare leaders and facility managers and analyzed their responses. Explore our top takeaways below and download the full report for even more insights.

Cybersecurity poses a threat to digitalization in healthcare

Healthcare facilities management operates in one of the most sensitive environments in the built world. Clinical care, patient privacy and life safety all depend on secure, reliable infrastructure. It’s no surprise that cybersecurity is a top barrier to expanding AI in healthcare facilities.

The report reveals that 31% of healthcare FMs cite data privacy and cybersecurity as the main obstacle to scaling AI – more than double the rate in non-healthcare sectors. FMs ranked cybersecurity higher than budget constraints (18%) and resistance to change (12%), indicating a vested but cautious interest in further digitalization. Healthcare leaders echo this concern, ranking privacy and cyber risk ahead of budget constraints, data quality and resistance to change.

For smart hospitals, this means any move toward more integrated systems and digitalization must be paired with robust cyber and data protection strategies. The full report breaks down where leaders see the greatest risk and how they are building resilient healthcare technology architectures.

From data overload to actionable insights

Hospitals and clinics generate enormous volumes of operational data across HVAC, utilities, access control, medical equipment and space utilization. Without the right healthcare technology, that data is hard to translate into insight, especially under strict regulatory and compliance mandates.

In the survey, 21% of healthcare leaders and 25% of FMs selected advanced reporting and compliance management as the one capability they want to add to improve resilience and efficiency – the top response for both groups. Healthcare managers are significantly more likely than their non-healthcare peers to prioritize tools that automate reporting and turn facilities management data into clear, auditable records.

This demonstrates how AI in healthcare facilities is evolving: not just for automation, but to simplify compliance and performance monitoring across integrated systems. One real-world example in the report is a hospital that used automated reporting to improve compliance, boost efficiency and save $5,000 per operating room – illustrating how smart hospitals can turn data into measurable value.

Workflow automation and predictive maintenance: AI’s biggest upside

When facilities operate 24/7, manual processes quickly become a bottleneck. The report shows that for healthcare facilities management, the greatest long-term potential of AI in healthcare lies in automating workflows and enabling predictive maintenance.

Among respondents already using AI, 45% of healthcare FMs use it to automate workflows or streamline maintenance. Looking ahead, 55% of those planning to deploy AI in the next year will focus on automation – far higher than other industries. A quarter of healthcare FMs say automating workflows is the single area where AI can most improve facility operations.

Predictive maintenance is an equally strong theme. Nearly half of healthcare managers already using AI apply it to predictive maintenance, and 45% plan to implement AI-driven predictive maintenance solutions within the next year.

Healthcare leaders rank predictive maintenance among the top AI use cases, second only to security.

These responses confirm that smart hospitals are moving away from reactive fixes and toward proactive, AI-enabled maintenance strategies that reduce downtime, extend asset life and support sustainability goals.

Safety, comfort and energy: the new pillars of smart hospitals

The report underscores that healthcare technology investments are tightly aligned to occupant experience, physical safety and energy performance.

Among healthcare organizations that have deployed facilities performance and optimization solutions, 73% use them to support occupant comfort and wellness. AI in healthcare is also being used to enhance security, safety and access control – 58% of healthcare facility managers with AI deployments focus on these use cases, and healthcare leaders rank security as AI’s top long-term opportunity.

Energy intelligence is the third pillar. Rising energy costs and tight budgets are the top challenges for facilities teams, and 80% of those planning to implement optimization solutions will use them to track, control and reduce energy use. More than half of healthcare FMs already use AI to optimize energy performance, and 75% of those planning new AI deployments will prioritize energy optimization.

This combination of safety, comfort and energy efficiency shows how integrated systems and digitalization are reshaping facilities management in smart hospitals, with sustainability and operational resilience at the center.

FAQs

How is AI used in healthcare facilities management?

AI helps healthcare facility managers automate workflows, predict maintenance needs, streamline compliance reporting, strengthen security and maintain access control. Today, 45% of healthcare facility managers use AI to automate workflows or maintenance processes, and nearly half apply it to predictive maintenance that reduces downtime and extends asset life. AI-powered reporting tools also transform large volumes of operational data into clear, auditable compliance records. This can help smart hospitals boost efficiency and meet strict regulatory requirements.

What are integrated systems in smart hospitals, and why do they matter?

Integrated systems in smart hospitals connect building infrastructure – such as HVAC, utilities, access control and medical equipment – into a unified digital platform. This platform shares data across clinical, security and operational functions to improve occupant comfort and wellness, strengthen physical safety and simplify compliance management. By breaking down data silos through digitalization, integrated systems help healthcare facilities build operational resilience while meeting strict requirements for patient privacy, cybersecurity and life safety.

How does energy intelligence support smart hospitals?

Energy intelligence uses AI-driven monitoring and control to help healthcare facilities track, manage and reduce energy consumption – a critical capability as rising energy costs rank among the top challenges for facilities teams. According to the 2026 AI & Digitalization in Facilities Management Report for Healthcare, 80% of healthcare organizations planning to implement optimization solutions will use them for energy management, and 75% of those planning new AI deployments will prioritize energy optimization. These solutions support sustainability goals while maintaining the precise environmental conditions required for patient comfort, safety and clinical care in smart hospitals.