By Chet Farmer, Vice President, Technical Services, forProject Technology, Inc.
TL;DR: forProject attended the 2026 Empower Users’ Group (EUG) Workshop, May 18–21 in Sandestin, Florida. AI was the big theme, and the standout was a Bechtel talk on using an internal AI model to check human-written variance narratives against project data.
Event page: EUG Workshop 2026 agenda
Instead of having AI write the narrative, use it to vet the human-written narrative against the project’s data.
We at forProject really enjoy our partners and customers, and we ALSO love a beach, so attending the annual Empower Users’ Group meeting is an easy decision.
The EUG 2026 beach dinner, Sandestin, Florida.
I was happy to check in with our friends at Oceaneering, Collins Aerospace, Southwest Research Institute, Savannah River Site, and the Department of Energy in such a scenic place.
It was also great to see forProject introduced as one of Empower’s software partners during Encore Analytics’ opening day session.
This year, a large focus of the conference was the use of LLMs/AI in our discipline, and there were a variety of compelling approaches presented.
We’ve all wanted to turn AI into a bit of a “do my job” button, but asking an LLM to craft your Format 5 is a risky endeavor.
The most interesting presentation was from Bechtel, which turned that approach on its head. They have an internal model they’re using, and instead of having it produce the narrative, they use it to VET the human-written narrative against the project’s data.
I think we’ll see additional folks take this angle with these tools. They’re undeniably powerful, but also prone to trouble even at the high end, at least in 2026, when given too long a leash.
On the other hand, using them to verify and review with a more limited scope sets you up for greater success while avoiding the well-publicized weaknesses inherent to the technology at this point.
Catching up with friends at EUG 2026.
About the event
The EUG Workshop is hosted each year by Encore Analytics, the makers of Empower. The 2027 workshop is scheduled for May 24–27, again at Sandestin.
Related: NDIA IPMD Fall 2026: Insight Over Compliance
Added to our news archive in September 2026.