Chris Smyth
Our Take: Using AI to generate efficiencies could really support public services to get more done, and to be more consistent. Human in the loop is vital – but you need to ensure that those humans are empowered to really BE in that loop and to contradict the machine. “Computer says no” can be very difficult to pass over…
Your Takeaway: Make sure that any humans in the loop using LLM powered systems have appropriate training and understanding of their outputs, so that system can support *their* critical thinking, not outsource it.
English councils will start using a new AI tool from Google to help speed up building project decisions. The AI will give recommendations, but humans will make the final call. The government hopes this will make planning faster and support building more homes.
Highlights
Under the programme, humans will make the final decisions with AI providing a recommendation. For more complex applications, the AI tool will probably give officials a framework for decisions rather than a definitive answer.
“There is a risk that in the push to harness efficiencies and insights, planning’s decision-making systems are redesigned to work well with AI, and not for optimal outcomes. There’s no value in processing applications more quickly if the developments that follow are low quality.”
Recommendations on whether to grant or refuse building projects will be generated using a custom AI system — the Augmented Planning Decision Tool — before being signed off by council officers.
Planning decisions in England will for the first time be made with the help of Google-built AI starting this month, in a pilot ministers say will speed up approvals.