Ethical Frontiers: Balancing Innovation and Regulation of AI

This panel is meant to help planners navigate the thrilling yet challenging landscape of AI in the realm of planning. The next points describe possible planning impacts and ideas on how this session can advance planning practice:
• Understanding and Navigating Ethical Challenges: The panel will delve deeply into the ethical challenges posed by AI in planning practice. By doing so, it will equip planners with the knowledge to identify potential ethical dilemmas and navigate them effectively. This understanding is crucial in ensuring that AI-based implementations do not inadvertently harm communities or exacerbate existing inequalities.
• Professional Dialogue for Ethical Principles: The panel aims to initiate a dialogue on ethical and equitable AI use in planning. This conversation is essential in forming a professional community consensus on what constitutes ethical AI practice in planning, leading to more inclusive and equitable approaches in the field.
• Enhancing Inclusivity through AI: The discussion will also focus on how AI can be leveraged to advance inclusive and equitable planning practices. This includes using research and AI-based tools to ensure that the needs of all community members, especially marginalized groups, are considered and met.
• Fostering Collaboration for Change: The panel aims to create a dynamic environment that encourages collaboration among planners. This setting will be ideal for exchanging ideas and proven strategies. The strength of this approach lies in its ability to consolidate a wide range of experiences and insights. Such collective intelligence is crucial for effectively addressing the multifaceted challenges presented by the advent of AI in the field of planning.