Coventry planning director warns commissioners about AI‑generated public comments; staff will triage technical claims

Coventry — At the Oct. 27 Planning Commission meeting staff presented an example of an anonymous opposition letter that appeared to have been generated with artificial intelligence and urged commissioners to use staff reports to triage technical or voluminous public comments.

Planning staff said the example letter appeared well written and organized on its face but, after two hours of staff review, was found to cite code that does not apply or to cite sections that do not exist. "AI will always do what you ask it to," the director told the commission, noting that AI does not reliably fact‑check and can create persuasive but factually incorrect arguments.

Staff said all public comments received will continue to be forwarded to the commission but recommended commissioners focus their attention on points that staff flag as factually or procedurally significant in the staff report. Commissioners discussed whether unsigned or nonverifiable comments should carry less weight; several members suggested that comments from actively participating abutters (those who received mail notice and attend hearings) warrant closer attention, while unsigned, out‑of‑area or anonymous submissions should be treated with caution.

Staff said the town will not discard comments based solely on anonymity but will prioritize staff time and commission attention toward verifiable, substantive concerns. The director also warned that applicants will likely need to review and, where appropriate, respond to technical claims raised in voluminous AI‑generated submissions.