The RTPI has released its new RTPI Practice Advice Note, outlining the opportunities and challenges planners face when working with AI.
As AI-driven tools and technologies become increasingly sophisticated and autonomous, their impact on the planning process and profession is expected to grow.
The advice provides an overview of the current tools and technologies available to planners and planning systems, leaving it up to RTPI members to decide how, when, and whether to incorporate these innovations into their work.
The Practice Advice outlines key opportunities where AI can enhance the work of planners. Notable benefits include access to vast data sets, real-time impact modelling, faster and more effective consultations, and automated decision-making processes.
However, the Practice Advice also highlights the potential risks AI presents. Issues such as the production of inaccurate data, copyright infringement, and heightened security concerns could have unintended negative consequences for the planning process.
To mitigate these risks, the RTPI emphasises the importance of planners understanding the technologies behind AI tools, enabling them to leverage the opportunities while addressing the associated challenges.
Dr Daniel Slade, RTPI’s Head of Practice and Research, said: “AI tools have the potential to increase both the efficiency and the effectiveness of planning work, ultimately improving outcomes for communities and the environment. But, they can also pose serious risks to planning processes, whether it’s through security or inaccuracies, and it is crucial that AI tools support, not replace, the role of planners’ professional judgement in decision making.
“Given the scale of the shift AI represents, we’ll be conducting further research to develop a deeper understanding of the impacts that AI is having on how RTPI members plan, consult, and make decisions.”
