To aid rebuilding efforts following the devastating January wildfires, the state will provide local governments in the Los Angeles area with new AI-powered e-check software to quicken the pace of approvals for building permits, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Wednesday.
The move leverages private-sector innovation in artificial intelligence to help communities recover more quickly from the Eaton and Palisades fires, officials said.
“The current pace of issuing permits locally is not meeting the magnitude of the challenge we face,” Newsom said in a statement. “To help boost local progress, California is partnering with the tech sector and community leaders to give local governments more tools to rebuild faster and more effectively.”
The software by Archistar will be provided free of charge to local governments and residents via a partnership between the state and the philanthropic organizations LA Rises and Steadfast LA, plus contributions from Autodesk and Amazon.
“Bringing AI into permitting will allow us to rebuild faster and safer, reducing costs and turning a process that can take weeks and months into one that can happen in hours or days,” Steadfast LA Chairman Rick Caruso said in a statement. “Working with our coalition partner Mike Hopkins and Amazon, I’m proud Steadfast LA identified Archistar as the right company to develop and apply this game-changing technology. Now we can work with great philanthropic organizations, including LA Rises, to provide this critical tool at no cost to taxpayers. We will continue bringing forward new technology and ideas to cut through red tape and expedite this recovery.”
Archistar’s software uses computer vision, machine learning and automated rulesets to instantly assess a building design’s compliance with local zoning and building codes during the permitting process. The technology allows property owners to check their building plans before submitting them for city or county approval. The intention is to prevent frustrating delays and expedite the plan-review process.
LA County has committed to using the plan-check software. In April the Board of Supervisors called for establishing a unified permitting authority for the Altadena One-Stop Recovery Center at 464 W. Woodbury Road, Suite 210.
“I’m excited to see Los Angeles County embrace innovative technology like Archistar to accelerate the rebuilding process in Altadena and neighboring communities recovering from the Eaton Fire,” Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement. “This AI tool has the potential to save homeowners valuable time by helping them submit code-compliant plans from the start. … Our collective work will help ensure we’re delivering real, efficient solutions to those working hard to rebuild their lives. Our wildfire survivors deserve nothing less.”
The Eaton Fire, which began Jan. 7 amid fierce winds, burned over 14,000 acres in Barger’s 5th District.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose 3rd District contains the Palisades Fire’s nearly 23,500-acre burn area, also lauded the new plan-check software.
“Together, government and philanthropy are standing with our community to ensure a safe, swift, and lasting recovery from the Palisades and Eaton Fires,” Horvath said in a statement. “With new AI-powered tools and LA County’s One-Stop Permitting Centers, we’re cutting red tape to help residents rebuild and return home sooner.”
LA Mayor Karen Bass also welcomed the software.
“Getting residents home quickly and safely is my top priority,” Bass said in a statement. “Last week, I signed an executive directive to spearhead an AI pilot program to streamline the permitting process for Palisades residents. With the announcement of this AI solution, we’re infusing new technologies into City Hall processes to ensure nothing stands in the way of families getting home — and to keep our recovery effort on track to be the fastest in modern California history.”
The software is currently used by more than 25 municipalities in the United States, Canada and Australia, including cities such as Vancouver, Austin, Houston and Seattle and states such as Colorado, British Columbia in Canada and New South Wales in Australia. In addition to the LA area, the plan-check tool is now available to any local government seeking to streamline its permitting process.
Newsom has made cutting red tape a priority following the fires. He issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding process, suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act. Another executive order reiterated that permitting requirements under the Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directed the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that conflicts with the Newsom’s orders.
Two more orders called for streamlining rebuilding, recovery and relief for survivors and for removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines and providing regulatory relief in an attempt help survivors rebuild, access essential services and recover more quickly.
Other technology-driven initiatives during Newsom’s tenure since 2019 are his establishment of the Office of Data Innovation a 2023 executive order directing state agencies to use generative AI technologies “to improve state services and help solve important issues,” according to the governor’s office.
To aid Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts, the state launched in February the online platform Engaged California. The public can use it to share thoughts and connect with each other on noteworthy issues and connect with their government to inform and shape policy. Engaged California’s “first use case” focused on the impacts of the LA fires, officials said.
The state webpage CA.gov/LAfires tracks LA’s wildfire recovery, including timely air quality monitoring.
Updated May 1, 2025, 12:03 p.m.
