AI for Planners, With Planners: How Konveio Aligns with APA’s AI Ethics Principles

In the evolving landscape of planning, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) presents both incredible opportunities and pressing ethical responsibilities. The APA Technology Division authored an open letter to the planning community regarding the ethical use of AI in planning practice. The letter emphasizes principles like transparency, human-centered design, inclusivity, and the need for planners to stay in control of how AI is applied in their work. At Konveio, we’ve embraced those principles as foundational to our platform.

Human-Centered AI for Planners

Konveio is an AI-powered engagement platform tailored for planners. But we’re not in the business of replacing human judgment or automating the nuance out of planning. Instead, we use AI to remove friction, making it easier to engage the public, analyze feedback, and surface insights, so planners can focus on what matters most: making thoughtful, community-driven decisions.

You Stay in Control

One of the core tenets of the APA’s guidance is that AI should increase transparency and trust, not diminish it. That’s why Konveio’s AI tools are embedded within a clearly defined human-centered process. For example, our comment analysis tools don’t make decisions for planners, they summarize, tag, and theme public input to reduce busywork and make it easier to spot patterns. Planners stay in full control, with the ability to verify, override, or refine the AI’s work.

Accessible for All Audiences

Inclusivity and accessibility are also at the heart of ethical AI. Konveio makes planning documents more approachable through simplified navigation, interactive summaries, translated content, and a mobile-first experience. Our AI assistant enables users to ask plain-language questions and receive page-referenced answers directly from planning documents, which is an approach that removes barriers for non-experts, people with limited digital literacy, or non-English speakers.

Privacy and Safe Participation

Another ethical pillar of the APA guidance is data protection and safety. At Konveio, privacy is a priority. Our platform doesn’t rely on personal profiling or opaque data collection. Instead, we focus on enabling secure, transparent, and equitable engagement through features like password-protected workspaces and moderation tools that support civil discourse while safeguarding community interactions.

Built for How Planners Work

Konveio’s platform also reflects  APA’s call for AI that complements traditional planning methods rather than disrupting them unnecessarily. Our tools work with the PDFs you already use. We empower teams to transform static documents into living, AI-connected resources without requiring new software training or workflow overhauls.

Ultimately, we believe AI in planning must be a tool that reflects the values of the communities it serves. By using AI to simplify complexity, elevate marginalized voices, and help planners stay informed and in control, Konveio delivers on the APA’s vision for ethical, human-centered AI.

Learn more about how Konveio is setting a new standard for ethical AI in planning at konveio.com.

Additional APA Resources

• “Ethics of AI-Enhanced Planning” (APA Blog)
• "The Ethical Concerns of Artificial Intelligence in Urban Planning" (Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 91, No. 2)
• "Planning Ethics and Generative AI" (APA Blog)
• "AI in Planning: Opportunities and Challenges and How to Prepare" APA Applied Research
• "AI Regulations" (APA Foresight)
• “Artificial Intelligence and Planning” (Research KnowledgeBase Collection)