APPI Webinar - Beyond the Hype: Designing Responsible AI for Housing and Planning Decisions

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering planning practice, but what does responsible implementation actually look like?

Drawing on a multi-year national housing research initiative funded by the Government of Canada, this session explores the lessons learned from designing and testing UnDashboard, an AI-enabled platform created to support housing and infrastructure decision-making.

Rather than focusing on AI as a replacement for professional expertise, the project explored how AI can support critical thinking, systems awareness, and more transparent decision-making. Participants will learn how the team navigated challenges related to bias, oversimplification, transparency, equity, and governance, and why many common approaches to AI implementation can unintentionally reinforce existing blind spots.

The session will provide practical insights for planners interested in using AI responsibly, while demonstrating how structured analytical frameworks, human oversight, and intentional design can help ensure technology supports better planning outcomes rather than simply faster ones.