DeepMind starts a 15-council beta of its planning tool

Google DeepMind said on Oct. 31 that PlanAssist is moving into a 12-month beta with 12 more English councils, 15 in total, after pilots in Barnet, Camden, and Dorset. DeepMind said those pilots cut average officer time on householder assessment tasks by 58 percent, and that officers approved more than 70 percent of the drafted reports with no edits. The UK housing ministry published the expansion on Oct. 30, named the 12 councils, said the tool will not be mandated, and said an offer to every English council by the end of 2027 depends on the beta. Officers remain responsible for every decision.