Collaboration Key To Social Housing AI Success, New Whitepaper Highlights

Voicescape, the provider of engagement solutions for social housing and local authorities, has published a new whitepaper, ‘Embracing AI in Social Housing: Expert Insights and Frameworks for Success.’ The paper delves into the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in social housing, offering insights from leading experts to guide sector-wide adoption and provide a roadmap for harnessing the full potential of the technology.

The social housing sector's current relationship with AI is complex, characterised by a combination of misinformation, cautious optimism, and genuine curiosity. With this in mind, the whitepaper provides a balanced, practical perspective on the ethical application of AI, helping to clarify its benefits and considerations.

Gary Haynes, Managing Director at Voicescape, comments:
"AI in social housing is more than a technological shift; it is a strategic imperative that promises to enhance operational efficiency and tenant engagement. At Voicescape, we’re committed to leading the way towards a future where AI significantly enhances service delivery and innovation in the sector. This whitepaper will play a key role in demystifying AI in the sector, outlining its benefits as well as the ethical considerations involved."

Acknowledging the fact that embracing the potential of AI requires collaboration and knowledge sharing, the report brings together diverse expertise from a range of key figures in technology and social housing, including:

Tom Cheesewright, renowned applied futurist
Nick Atkin, CEO, Yorkshire Housing
Professor Mark Lee, Professor of AI, University of Birmingham
Hassan Bahrani, IT and Data Security Director, Thirteen Group
Siobhan Weightman, Board Member, Women in Social Housing (WISH) North East
Steven Skarratt, Technical Director, Voicescape
Jon Cocker, CIO, Platform Group


Jon, a well-known speaker on AI in social housing and the whitepaper’s foreword contributor, comments: "With the inevitable integration of AI, our priority must be to establish robust frameworks ensuring its ethical application. This whitepaper is an invaluable resource for social housing providers to engage with AI thoughtfully and responsibly."

The report guides readers through AI's current landscape in social housing, addressing challenges to adoption and offering strategic responses. It also discusses the role of regulation and industry collaboration in developing sector-specific AI frameworks and shared best practice, as well as exploring where the boundaries of AI should lie in the sector.

Key principles outlined in the whitepaper for social housing providers to consider integrating into their own bespoke guidelines include:

Identifying and deeply understanding specific challenges first, before deploying AI solutions.
Maximising the use of data to enhance operational efficiency and tenant engagement.
Involving a broad range of stakeholders in the development and governance of AI technologies.
Leveraging existing knowledge, frameworks and tools when applying AI within individual organisations, rather than starting from scratch.
Ensuring AI frameworks are flexible enough to adapt to future technological advancements and sector changes.

Gary Haynes adds:
"Our goal with this whitepaper is twofold: to promote the ethical use of AI in improving social housing operations and services, and to encourage ongoing dialogue within the sector about the expansive possibilities of AI. We see this document as both a practical resource and a catalyst for collective action and innovation."