By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, emotion detection technologies have the potential to revolutionise how emotional well-being is addressed within the construction industry. These technologies can provide real-time monitoring of individuals’ emotional states, detect signs of distress, and offer proactive interventions to prevent and manage mental health issues. This paper explores the impact and current state of innovation and technology in the construction industry’s mental health landscape by analysing existing literature on emotion detection technologies. The paper also presents a pilot study that seeks to contribute to the ongoing discourse on fostering a mentally healthy construction workforce. The performance and validation results of the research study verify the technology’s field test readiness. It is expected that this study contributes positively to worker well-being, job satisfaction, and overall project success.