Despite the blanket term, there are two distinctive approaches to AI that are critical to understand—especially in permitting and planning where decisions can affect peoples safety.
So, what is the difference between augmented intelligence and artificial intelligence?
Let's break it down.
What is Augmented Intelligence?
Augmented intelligence refers to systems designed to enhance and assist human decision-making, rather than replace it. It’s all about empowering people to make better, faster, and more informed decisions by providing them with data, insights, and tools. Think of augmented intelligence as an assistant that helps amplify human capabilities rather than a standalone entity taking full control.
For example:
- Medical Diagnosis Support: Doctors use augmented intelligence to analyze large volumes of medical data, suggesting potential diagnoses based on symptoms and medical history. The ultimate decision, however, remains with the physician.
- Financial Advisors: Augmented intelligence systems help financial professionals by analyzing market trends, suggesting portfolio adjustments, and identifying risks. Yet, it’s the human advisors who tailor advice to each client's unique needs.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence on the other hand, refers to systems capable of making decisions or performing tasks on their own, often without human intervention. These systems are designed to mimic human cognitive functions—learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and even adapting over time. The key distinction here is that artificial intelligence often operates independently, rather than assisting a human in making decisions.
For example:
- Autonomous Vehicles: AI drives the car by analyzing traffic, road conditions, and navigation data in real-time. The vehicle makes decisions without needing a human to intervene.
- Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: These systems use natural language processing to answer questions, book appointments, or provide customer support, often without needing human assistance.
Why the difference matters for permitting and planning departments
In the world of permitting and plan reviews, decisions often carry serious weight—especially when they pertain to the safety of buildings, structures, and public infrastructure.
That's why we took a blended approach to building CivCheck's AI plan review software, so we could help staff make decisions faster, not perform all of their tasks for them.
For example, in a building plan review, an AI system might be able to analyze thousands of documents and detect potential issues much faster than a human reviewer. However, when it comes to understanding the context behind a particular building layout or life safety consideration, we believe it’s essential that a human expert makes the final decision. That’s where augmented intelligence comes in: our systems provide the reviewer with relevant data, potential red flags, and suggestions—but the final decision always remains with the human professional.
We are constantly asking ourselves ethical questions such as: “When should AI make decisions for us?” and “When does human judgment matter most?”
Ethical thinking
We believe that ethical thinking is the cornerstone of responsible AI deployment. We’re not just focused on efficiency and automation for its own sake; we are mindful of the potential consequences that come with handing over too much decision-making power to machines. By placing humans at the center of the process, we ensure that critical decisions are made with a level of understanding, empathy, and contextual knowledge that machines simply don’t possess.
In the end, it’s not about choosing between artificial intelligence and augmented intelligence—it’s about using both thoughtfully to create safer, more effective processes.
