Land-use issues often ignite community passion, especially regarding housing developments, wind farms, or new roads. In England, the law mandates public consultation on planning matters, allowing citizens a voice before decisions are made. However, processing thousands of public comments is cumbersome for local authorities, often leading to biases and inefficiencies. To address this, researchers at the University of Liverpool partnered with Greater Cambridge Shared Planning to develop an AI tool, Plan AI, which efficiently reads and summarizes submissions. In a 2025 experiment, Plan AI processed 320 submissions in just 16 minutes, compared to over 60 hours for a human planner, maintaining summary quality. As the UK government encourages AI adoption in planning, such tools promise to reduce administrative burdens, allowing planners to engage more meaningfully with the public. While AI can enhance the planning process, safeguards are essential to ensure authenticity and prevent manipulation of opinions. This innovation paves the way for more democratic and effective governance.
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