It's the start of a particularly busy period within the RTPI diary with the party political conference season starting this month and the work on Education for Everyone continuing with an all member survey seeking views on the future direction and context for initial planning education. I hope you have all seen the email and will take time to give your views. I am also halfway through the Nations and Regions visits and where I'm hearing about, and seeing first-hand the fantastic work that takes place locally and meeting local RTPI Members.
Earlier this month I was at Reading University presenting the RTPI Awards for Research Excellence. It's great to see the extent and quality of our first-class planning research and seeing its use by practitioners. During my visit to Northern Ireland, I visited the Planning Schools at Queens University and Ulster University and attended the NI Conference where the theme was Positivity in Planning.
Whilst acknowledging our many challenges, there was much to talk about, many thought provoking ideas and excellent speakers. How to be more effective with limited resources is a theme that is often raised in the context of planning, we are all experts in doing more for less. But that got me thinking about the use of AI.
I must admit that my concerns about the use of AI are probably unfounded. But I am unsure about its use and where it's going. Is it a threat or a tool that we should embrace to improve our efficiency and effectiveness? I really don't know. But it is current and I need to engage in conversations about its use today and its future use in planning.
So this month I've been thinking about putting myself to the test and using AI, and then I started wondering how many of us use it in everyday scenarios, work, study, journalism. In the past I have made it clear that I wouldn't want to see my team members rely on using AI. I'm not sure if my aversion is that its use might mean we blunt our creativity and begin to rely on its help rather than build our literacy skills, or whether it would help us make more efficient use of time and resources.
I admit I struggle with a clear position on this, so I've rewritten this paragraph, below, as a short test. You can decide what you think yourselves:
One topic that has been on my mind recently is the role of AI in planning. While AI offers significant potential for improving efficiency, streamlining processes, and tackling complex planning challenges, it also raises questions about its impact on traditional skills and professional judgment. As we continue to explore the balance between technology and human expertise, I believe it is essential to engage in thoughtful discussions about how AI can best serve the planning profession without undermining the core competencies that define it.
Subtle changes, I must admit I prefer the AI text but has it lost personality? The jury still remains out.
Till next time
