N.S. municipal politicians weigh in on whether AI can speed up housing approvals

Nova Scotia's municipal politicians are weighing in on the potential benefits of artificial intelligence in speeding up housing approvals. The federal government recently allocated $100 million over three years to help communities adopt AI technology for housing permitting processes. While many municipalities see the potential advantages, concerns remain about the balance between AI efficiency and human oversight.

Halifax District 5 Coun. Sam Austin believes AI could be beneficial for municipalities, but he stresses the importance of maintaining a human touch in the approval process. "I wouldn't want to go to an AI just automatically approving a permit and issuing it without a human somewhere in there saying, 'Yes, this is correct,'" he said.

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore is also interested in exploring the potential of AI to support professional staff in their jobs. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, spearheading the project, predicts that AI will help smaller municipalities with limited resources expedite permitting processes. Tim Tierney, the federation's president, noted that AI could be particularly beneficial for smaller municipalities that lack large workforces of permit officers.

However, the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities emphasizes the importance of policies to govern the use of AI, ensuring that necessary steps aren't skipped in the approval process. David Mitchell, the federation's president, stressed that efficiency does not equate to compromising safety. Regardless, he reiterated that a human will always be involved in the approval process, whether it's a building official, inspector, or planner to ensure proper work is carried out.