The construction industry is crucial to the economies of both developed and developing countries, yet it continues to grapple with poor performance due to the persistent use of traditional practices. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized other sectors, its adoption in the construction industry remains limited. Thus, the study investigates the barriers to the adoption of AI in the construction industry. The quantitative survey research design was employed to collect data from construction professionals (architects, engineers, estate valuers, and quantity surveyors) in Kigali using the stratified sampling technique. The study identified 24 potential barriers to AI adoption from the literature. The findings indicated that the high initial cost of deployment, computing power and talent shortages are the most significant barriers to AI adoption in the construction industry. The remaining 18 barriers were averagely significant and equally required attention. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in the perception of public and private organizations on the barriers to AI adoption. Factor analysis using Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization delineated the barriers into eight principal components: Algorithmic reliability and trust worthless, change management and security resilience, data infrastructure optimization, AI readiness strategy, AI capability development, Deployment barrier mitigation, policy and infrastructure alignment, and cultural transformation. The study recommended fostering the widespread adoption of AI in the construction industry through collaborative efforts by the government, academia, industry stakeholders, and technology vendors. The government should create supportive policies, provide funding, and promote industry-academic partnerships. Academia should prioritize AI education and research tailored to construction needs, while industry stakeholders should invest in AI infrastructure, talent and innovation hubs. Technology vendors should focus on user-friendly, scalable AI solutions and provide integration support.