A groundbreaking collaboration between a claims management company and Salford University has resulted in the launch of an innovative app designed to tackle housing disrepair using artificial intelligence.
The claims management company (CMC) has partnered with Salford University to introduce an AI-powered application that identifies housing disrepair, aiming to mediate such cases effectively without legal intervention. This development, announced on 18 September 2024, highlights the potential for technological innovation to reduce the financial strain on both claimants and councils involved in housing disrepair cases.
Integral to this initiative is IntelOptic, an AI platform trained on over 27,000 datasets, capable of analysing disrepair images in merely 1.5 seconds with an accuracy rate of up to 95%. A scientific paper on the AI technology underpinning IntelOptic is pending publication, further substantiating its cutting-edge capabilities. The app facilitates early detection of issues, reducing the necessity for costly onsite inspections and allowing minor repairs before they escalate, thereby alleviating the financial burdens on local authorities.
The concept for this advanced app originated in 2022 when Lawrence Sykes, operations director and co-founder of claim.co.uk, alongside co-founder Ben Snape, participated in a Salford University programme aimed at fostering AI product development. Post-event, the app was proposed to enable tenants to document disrepair through photographs, with the technology quickly identifying the nature of the issues.
Since its initial release, Version 1 of the app has successfully identified damp and mould, with an upcoming Version 2 expected to detect structural issues such as cracks and leaks. The app’s funding comes from referrals of disrepair cases to legal firms, ensuring it remains free to users. Mr. Sykes revealed the involvement of a dedicated team of four developers in the app’s creation, aiming to transform the market by mitigating health issues associated with poor housing conditions.
Beyond its immediate functionalities, the app’s long-term goal is to serve as a negotiation tool for councils and housing associations to undertake necessary repairs without lawyer involvement. This could potentially lead to significant savings, with legal costs for local authorities averaging around £15,000 per claim. The university’s commitment to this project is exemplified by the contributions of lecturers Taha Mansouri and Ali Alameer, who developed the core computer vision model.
The motivation for creating this app was partially inspired by the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale in December 2020, attributed to severe damp and mould exposure. Mr. Sykes emphasises the app’s potential to disrupt the existing market dynamics, offering a cost-effective solution that pre-empts legal action, thus sparing public resources.
This app symbolises a forward-thinking step in addressing housing disrepair, combining technological innovation with practical application to benefit both tenants and local authorities.
