Some residents affected by the fires that tore through Los Angeles in January can now use an artificial intelligence-powered permitting software that leaders say could speed up rebuilding.
A pilot version of the eCheck AI launched Tuesday, county officials said. Single-family homeowners whose residences were impacted by the Eaton or Palisades fires are now eligible to use the free tool.
To sign up, residents can create a free account here and look up their property address in the system. Then, they’ll need to upload PDF versions of their architectural plans.
It could take up to 10 days for results during the pilot period, but once completed, the software will deliver a downloadable report to be included in permitting applications, potentially speeding up approvals.
The pilot program comes one week after the six-month anniversary of the fires. It’s the latest step towards recovery in the Los Angeles area.
The largest of January’s fires, the Palisades and Eaton blazes, destroyed about $29.7 billion in single-family housing. In all, the two blazes wiped out about 11,000 homes across 18 neighborhoods.
The AI software — created by tech company Archistar — “uses computer vision, machine learning, and automated rulesets to instantly check designs against local zoning and building codes in the assessment process for building permits,” according to a May press release from Governor Gavin Newsom.
“This technology will allow property owners to pre-check their building plans before submission to ensure they submit valid plans, thus avoiding frustrating delays and expediting the review process once received by city or county staff,” officials said in that release.
More than 25 municipalities around the world are already using the Archistar tool. In the United States, those cities include Houston, New York and Seattle, as well as some areas in Colorado.