Greens and Clarence Council criticise use of AI to verify Kangaroo Bay hotel jobs claims

The use of AI to verify claims the Kangaroo Bay Hotel would generate hundreds of jobs has been criticised as “laughable”. Here’s why.

Kangaroo Bay Hotel. Picture: Supplied

Questions have been raised around the use of AI to attempt to verify claims the Kangaroo Bay Hotel would generate hundreds of jobs, after the proposal was granted ‘major projects’ status.

Last week Planning Minister Felix Ellis bestowed the special status to allow the five-star boutique hotel development to be assessed by an independent panel, bypassing the Clarence Council.

It was second time developer, Chambroad, applied for the special consideration.

The council has expressed its strong opposition to the project, which it once supported, and is now locked in a Supreme Court dispute with Chambroad to buy back the land.

Kangaroo Bay Hotel. Picture: Supplied

Days after it was declared a major project, it’s been revealed the Department of Premier and Cabinet used artificial intelligence to attempt to verify jobs figures presented in the application.

Chambroad claims the 4.5-star boutique hotel, with 155 rooms would generate 100 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs during construction, and 443 FTE jobs once the hotel is up and running.

The numbers were questioned by the Department of Treasury and Finance, which was revealed in a report on the declaration for the Housing Minister.

“As the MPP (major project proposal) provides no information on the methodology or data sourced to support the proponent’s estimates of the jobs created in the construction and operational phases of the project, the veracity of these estimates cannot be tested,” the department said in a submission about the application.

Kangaroo Bay Hotel. Picture: Supplied

In its response, the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s state planning office revealed its methodology for supporting the claims.

“Using artificial intelligence (Co-Pilot), the State Planning Office obtained data suggesting that the estimates of 100 FTE construction jobs and 100-150 direct hotel jobs are reasonable, given the 4.5-star rating of the proposed facility,” the response said.

“The proponent’s estimate of 293 indirect jobs arising from added visitor expenditure cannot be proven to be incorrect or unreasonable.”

Clarence mayor Brendan Blomeley said the jobs claims were “unsubstantiated”.

“This is extraordinary. How can the Minister award major project status when the submission is not based on demonstrable facts and evidence?” Mr Blomeley said.

Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley. Picture: Chris Kidd

“The idea that if something can’t be disproven then it is true, is incredibly dangerous, as is the ‘near enough is good enough’ approach of the State Planning Office.

“This also raises serious questions about the submission from the Office of the Coordinator General which states the ‘second iteration of the MPP is data-driven and evidence-based’.”

Acting Greens Leader Vica Bayley said the use of AI in the process could set a “concerning precedent”.

“Using a basic AI tool to back up the claims of this developer is laughable,” he said on Monday.

“Doing this demonstrates a remarkable lack of interest in proper evidence, and completely undermines the credibility of the development’s status as a major project.”

Incoming Deputy Premier Guy Barnett said the use of AI wasn’t unusual in the assessment process.

Incoming Deputy Premier Guy Barnett. Picture: Stephanie Dalton

“There will be an independent review process, there will be plenty of opportunities for community consultation, that’s why we’ve set up that major projects process,” he said

“We make no apology for putting this project on the table, supporting the project to go through a normal planning and approval process.

“We’re very excited about the possibility to create more jobs.”

Originally published as Greens and Clarence Council criticise use of AI to verify Kangaroo Bay hotel jobs claims