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UK Launches AI Tool to Accelerate Housing Development

Artificial Intelligence

Business Honor
26 April, 2025

UK government unveils AI tool Extract to streamline planning and aid 1.5 million homes target.

The UK government has launched a new artificial intelligence tool called Extract, created by its Incubator for AI (i.AI) working in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's Digital Planning Programme. This advanced AI technology is designed to make it easier to plan by scanning outdated, paper-based records—like smudgy maps and scrawls—into machine-readable, sharable digital data in seconds.

According to Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, the traditional planning system has been hindered by inefficient processes and inaccessible data formats, which have prevented councils from making timely decisions. Extract seeks to address this by cutting tasks that normally take up to two hours down to 40 seconds.

Already in its initial testing phase, the software is due to be rolled out to councils nationwide by the end of the year. It is hoped to have a major part to play in assisting the government in achieving its goal of delivering 1.5 million new homes within the next five years. By automating the extraction of data from thousands of past planning documents, the AI tool claims to eliminate delays, minimize errors, and enable human planners to concentrate on high-impact decision-making.

The project is part of an overall AI-powered government transformation that is backed by a £3.25 billion investment, out of which £42 million will be dedicated to "Frontier AI Exemplars" being led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The initiatives will increase efficiency and reform the public sector through the deployment of AI.

The officials also pointed to the broader use of Extract beyond planning, noting its relevance in different departments that are using location-based data for policymaking and the delivery of services. The step reflects a significant march toward AI-driven governance and public sector innovation in the UK.