The release of ChatGPT in November 2022 opened up a world of new opportunities across nearly every sector of the economy.
The emergence of the generative artificial intelligence chatbot tool provided an easy-to-use but revolutionary tool that could be applied in near-limitless ways.
MyLot chief executive and co-founder Tim Golsby-Smith saw the rise of generative AI, and saw its immense potential in improving the way that people interact with regulators and advice is delivered to constituents.
This led to the development of a proof-of-concept for an AI-powered planning assistant for local councils in Australia which became the foundational IP for MyLot and its trial with the Yarra Ranges Council.
The MyLot tool proved to be highly effective in streamlining the planning application process through the council, providing instant advice and assistance to individuals looking to obtain a planning permit through the council.
“MyLot is designed to help people navigate the planning system, reduce confusion and delays and ultimately help address the housing crisis by simplifying the planning approval process for Australian councils and applicants,” MyLot’s Alex Cheek said.
“Our goal is to democratise access to expertise and understanding of complex planning regulations, ensuring that regulation remains important but not overly cumbersome.”
MyLot allows individuals to instantly clarify their permit needs, understand their site-specific requirements, obtain advice to avoid any unnecessary delays and plan their next step, all through a virtual council assistant.
The MyLot AI platform is able to interpret complex planning rules and legislation and distil these down to simple and straightforward answers.
This is addressing a significant issue within local councils, with a shortage of planners, increasingly complex planning controls and a fastly growing population leading to long delays in the approval process and a housing crisis.
This has led to a sharp increase in the number of inquiries being made with local councils around the country, with many of these agencies being unable to deal with this influx using humans alone.
MyLot is a finalist in the InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence in the AI Industry Pioneer and GovTech categories. You can secure your tickets to the black-tie gala event here.
“Being nominated for this award is a significant recognition of MyLot both as an AI innovator and a GovTech innovation,” Mr Cheek said.
“It validates our passion for improving the way people experience regulation, especially in planning. We believe that while regulation is critically important, it shouldn’t be such a burden.”
MyLot has been piloted with the Yarra Ranges Council over the last year, with constituents able to enter information about their project and easily navigate complex planning rules to get ready to enter an application.
“We are confident that the MyLot Digital Planning tool we have created will transform how planning informs and empowers our customers early in the formative phase of their project, to explore and understand the planning controls relevant to their property, in their own words, and at their preferred times, while also assisting our planning teams to dedicate more time to address the intricate details of customer inquiries and guiding applicants throughout the planning process,” Yarra Ranges manager of planning and building Amanda Kern said.
“MyLot has simplified statutory planning in ways I never thought possible.”
The MyLot tool draws directly from local legislation, in contrast to other offerings which need each question and rule to be predetermined. This means it will be easier to expand it across local jurisdictions around Australia, and to the rest of the world.
MyLot is understood to be the first such tool to use large language models in AI-powered planning, removing the need to write or maintain rules-as-code.
Through the platform, any individual can seek clarity with planning rules, share these results with third parties and continue the conversation with a council worker.
For council employees, they can access a secure dashboard which records all interactions with MyLot, allowing for the reviewing of advice and further customer service.
MyLot participated in the University of Wollongong’s iAccelerate startup accelerator and has also received support from the NSW government, along with grants from the federal and Victorian governments.
“Our initial and critical connection with key customers was facilitated through NSW government startup programs,” Mr Cheek said.
Looking for brand exposure in front of Australia’s tech ecosystem? Purchase a table of 10 for the InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence and have your logo displayed on screens across the venue and in the event programme as a ‘Table Sponsor’.
The InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence are supported by: Australian Computer Society, Investment NSW, Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Technology Council of Australia, TechnologyOne, National Artificial Intelligence Centre, CSIRO’s ON Innovation Program, Reason Group, Q-CTRL, University of New South Wales, and IP Australia.
Protecting your great ideas with intellectual property (IP) rights can lead to lasting benefits for your growing business. IP refers to creations of the mind, such as a brand, logo, invention, design or artistic work. Head to the IP Australia website to find out more about IP, and how it might help your business.
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