Greater Sudbury city council has given the green light to an $800,000 pilot initiative utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance the review process for building permit applications. The aim is to detect issues earlier and streamline processing times without replacing city personnel.
The AI technology will serve as an initial screening tool on submissions made through the city’s Pronto portal. It will check for missing information and potential zoning bylaw and Ontario Building Code violations. Kris Longston, the city’s general manager of planning and growth, explained that this could result in quicker feedback for applicants, eliminating the need to wait days for staff reviews to identify missing or incorrect details.
Before implementation, the system will undergo training on the city’s zoning regulations and permit procedures. Longston likened it to onboarding a new employee who must grasp the workflow before handling complex tasks. He anticipates the AI system will ultimately prevent incomplete applications from entering the Pronto portal, raising the quality of submissions and potentially expediting turnaround times.
Morgan Roleau, CEO of the Northern Ontario Home Builders Association, expressed cautious optimism about Sudbury’s plan. She highlighted the significant delays builders face in the region, noting that even minor issues can cause extensive processing times. Roleau sees potential in AI for standardizing requirements and checks but cautioned that it might not address all underlying permit process challenges.
According to Mojgan Jadidi, an associate professor at York University specializing in regulatory compliance, AI can efficiently handle repetitive aspects of permitting. By automating rule-based checks, it can reduce administrative burdens and allow professionals to focus on complex decisions. Nevertheless, Jadidi emphasized the importance of human oversight for nuanced scenarios that require expert judgment.
John Lane, president of the Ontario Building Officials Association, emphasized AI’s suitability for routine compliance checks but stressed the irreplaceability of human expertise, especially in cases involving intricate drawings or code interpretations. He and other industry experts highlighted AI’s potential in alleviating administrative bottlenecks within the permitting process.
Funding for the project will come from Greater Sudbury’s Building Permit Revenue Stabilization Reserve Fund, with possible annual licensing fees of $350,000 covered by building permit revenues if full implementation proceeds post-pilot. The city aims to assess the pilot’s effectiveness in enhancing the initial permit review process before committing to broader adoption.