The UK is facing complex decisions about how to use its land to
achieve policy objectives around economic growth, net zero and
biodiversity, and food and energy security
artificial intelligence has the potential to make geospatial data
easier to access and interpret when making land use
decisions
the Geospatial Commission has partnered with The Alan Turing
Institute to explore the application of artificial intelligence
in land use decision-making
The Geospatial Commission, part of the Department for Science,
Innovation and Technology (DSIT),
has partnered with The Alan Turing Institute to explore the role
that artificial intelligence (AI) can play in long-term
decisions about how to use land.
The UK is facing significant and competing pressures for its
land. Advances in spatial data science and technologies, such as
AI, can bring to
life the opportunities and trade-offs surrounding land use
change. Data and images can be interpreted more efficiently and
scenarios can be tested. Visualisation tools can help to bring
choices to life.
The government has already invested more than £3.5 billion in
AI over the course
of the last decade to help realise the technology’s
transformative potential across the economy. This includes the
Chancellor recently
announcing a doubling of investment in The Turing as part of the
Spring Budget. The £100 million package over five-years will
build on The Turing’s work to-date to help address national and
international challenges in areas, such as health, the
environment and sustainability alongside defence and
security.
, Minister for Artificial
Intelligence, visited The Turing yesterday to explore the
application of geospatial AI to enhance land use decision
making. The Turing provided a demonstration of their AI-powered tool, which could
support local authority planners in deciding how to use their
land and unlock opportunities for multifunctional land use.
, Minister for Artificial
Intelligence, said:
We face growing pressures on our limited supply of land, from the
need for new housing to tackling challenges like climate change
and food security.
By harnessing innovative technologies like AI, we can support more
effective long-term decisions about our land and ensure we are
maximising its use and so I welcome this ongoing collaboration
between the Geospatial Commission and The Alan Turing
Institute.
The Geospatial Commission has been in partnership with The Turing
on land use since 2022. This led to the development of a
prototype tool in June 2023, which leveraged data science and
AI to visualise
different future scenarios for land use in collaboration with
Newcastle City Council.
The partnership is now further developing the prototype tool,
incorporating national satellite data and vision foundation
models for improved accuracy and analysis via AI. It is also incorporating a
large language model approach, which will make the tool more
accessible for non-technical users. The underlying model will be
available for public download at the conclusion of the project
later this spring.
Jean Innes, Chief Executive Officer, The Alan Turing Institute,
said:
The way we use land will be more crucial than ever in the years
ahead as the UK targets economic growth and prosperity whilst
ensuring we protect the environment and adapt to climate change.
It is exciting to see the partnership between the Geospatial
Commission and The Turing develop, augmenting current scenario
modelling tools with new geospatial AI capability, applying
satellite data and large language model technology to help more
cities and regions make effective decisions about land use.
This partnership is an important component of the Geospatial
Commission’s Land Use Programme, which is exploring how spatial
data and analysis can improve our understanding of how land can
be better used to balance multiple demands and deliver national
policy priorities.
The Geospatial Commission
published Finding Common Ground in May 2023 as part of the
Land Use Programme. The report set out key recommendations for
how the UK’s data capabilities can be enhanced to support land
use decision making with a more integrated understanding of urban
and rural needs.
