How ObjectNow Works – Human Led Objections, Controlled AI Support
ObjectNow exists to support local campaign groups and individuals through complex planning and consultation processes, particularly where large scale infrastructure developments are proposed. The system is designed to be rigorous, transparent, and human led at every critical stage.
Before an Application Enters Consultation
Before a planning application formally enters consultation, campaign groups or individual campaigners make contact with ObjectNow to discuss the proposed development and its background. At this stage, campaigners provide any documents they already hold, including pre application material, screening or scoping opinions, and references to previous developments or related applications that have been approved, rejected, or withdrawn.
ObjectNow then undertakes a detailed information gathering exercise. This includes downloading and cataloguing all available documents, reviewing historic applications, and assembling as much relevant local, environmental, policy, and contextual information as possible. The aim at this stage is to build a comprehensive evidence base so that when the application enters consultation, no time is lost trying to locate or reconstruct key information.
When an Application Enters Consultation
Once an application formally enters consultation, ObjectNow works alongside the campaign group or campaigner to obtain the full Environmental Impact Assessment and all supporting documents. These materials are reviewed in detail to identify errors, omissions, internal contradictions, policy breaches, regulatory failures, and inconsistencies with previous decisions or guidance.
From this analysis, ObjectNow prepares a detailed Objection Material Document. This document sets out the technical, legal, environmental, and procedural issues identified within the application and its supporting evidence. This material is then passed back to the campaign group or campaigner for careful review. They are encouraged to proofread it, check for inaccuracies, and, where appropriate, add further expert evidence or local knowledge.
Once the Objection Material Document has been reviewed, corrected, and agreed, ObjectNow uses it to prepare what is known as a Foundation Objection Document or Foundation Objection Letter. This is a comprehensive, human approved document that forms the factual and technical basis for all future public submissions.
The Foundation Objection Document is again returned to the campaign group or campaigner for final proofreading and sign off. Nothing proceeds further until the campaigner confirms they are satisfied that the document is accurate, fair, and suitable for public use.
How Letters Are Generated for the Public
After the Foundation Objection Document has been approved, ObjectNow separates it into structured sections. These sections are then processed by the rewrite system, which learns the approved material and produces a large number of rewritten variants of each section. These rewrites are stored securely in a database for controlled use.
At this point, the public facing campaign website is opened. Members of the public can visit the site and generate a personal objection letter. Each letter is assembled using rewritten sections drawn from the approved foundation material, ensuring that no two letters are identical while all remain grounded in the same verified facts and arguments.
To ensure continuity, when cached rewritten sections begin to run low, the system automatically generates a new batch using the same approved foundation material and stores these for future use.
The Role of AI Within ObjectNow
At no point does artificial intelligence independently generate objection letters, arguments, or evidence. All content originates from a technical foundation document that has been analysed, proofread, corrected, and approved by a human campaigner or campaign group.
AI within ObjectNow is used as a support tool only. It assists with reviewing large volumes of Environmental Impact Assessment documentation, highlighting potential errors or issues, and producing rewritten versions of already approved material. It does not decide what is objected to, does not invent arguments, and does not operate without human oversight.
All rewritten sections used by the system are derived directly from foundation material that has been agreed to be accurate and factual to the best knowledge of the campaign group or campaigner at the time.
In short, ObjectNow uses technology to reduce workload, improve consistency, and widen public participation, while keeping responsibility, judgement, and accountability firmly in human hands.
Clarifying the Role of AI in ObjectNow
ObjectNow was designed specifically to avoid the risks associated with unregulated or autonomous use of artificial intelligence in public consultation and planning processes. Human campaigners remain responsible for the content, the evidence, and the arguments at every stage. AI is used only as a controlled tool to reduce workload, manage scale, and support participation, never as an independent author or decision maker.
When Scottish Ministers or sections of the media state that objection letters generated through ObjectNow are written by artificial intelligence, this presents an incomplete and misleading picture. What is routinely omitted is the most critical fact: the material used by ObjectNow’s rewrite systems is not sourced, invented, or selected by AI. All content originates from a foundation document that has been produced, analysed, corrected, and approved by humans, often with input from subject matter experts. The AI system is strictly constrained to that material and cannot operate beyond it.
The reason that objection letters generated through ObjectNow consistently cover the same core arguments is deliberate and necessary. Those arguments have been verified by humans and experts, not by automated systems. The very purpose of the rewrite system is to apply these verified arguments consistently and accurately across thousands of individual submissions. It would be a serious concern if the system began introducing fresh arguments, speculation, or novel interpretations. That would indicate AI acting on its own accord rather than operating within the strict rulesets embedded into the platform. ObjectNow is explicitly designed to prevent this from happening.
ObjectNow is also deliberately opposed to AI systems that allow users to upload Environmental Impact Assessment material and then permit the AI to determine what should be written. Such systems frequently produce letters containing factual errors, misinterpretations of policy, internal contradictions, and unsupported claims. They remove human judgement and accountability from the process while giving the appearance of authority. The resulting submissions are generated purely on the AI’s own merits, without meaningful oversight, and risk misleading both the public and decision makers. This approach is not acceptable.
Beyond accuracy and accountability, ObjectNow is designed to improve accessibility and understanding. It supports people who are dyslexic, who struggle with formal written communication, or who do not understand how the objection process works. By providing clearly structured, human approved material, the platform helps thousands of people understand what an effective objection letter should contain, how arguments should be framed, and how evidence and policy considerations are properly applied.
Rather than replacing human judgement, ObjectNow lowers barriers to participation. It enables a much wider section of the public to engage meaningfully with complex consultation processes while ensuring that submissions remain factual, consistent, and grounded in verified evidence. Any characterisation of ObjectNow as an autonomous AI letter writing system fundamentally misrepresents how the platform works and overlooks the safeguards that are built into it by design.
A Request for Accurate Characterisation
ObjectNow asks that Ministers, public bodies, and media reporting avoid categorising the platform as a system that purely generates automated AI written objection letters. As this page sets out clearly, that description is inaccurate and omits the most important safeguards built into the platform.
ObjectNow works continuously to ensure that all AI models are tightly controlled and constrained to human produced, human reviewed, and human approved foundation material. Human intelligence, judgement, and accountability remain central to every letter generated through the system. AI is used only as a supporting tool, not as an independent author or decision maker.
Accurate characterisation matters.
Misrepresenting ObjectNow as an autonomous AI letter writing system obscures the rigorous human oversight involved and risks misleading the public about how modern, responsible technology can be used to support democratic participation rather than undermine it.
Every letter submitted through ObjectNow is sent by a real person with a genuine intention to object. The system never submits letters on its own.
One Reply to “How ObjectNow Works – Human Led Objections, Controlled AI Support”
ObjectNow
We also wish to be clear that ObjectNow does not condone misuse of the platform.
If any individual attempts to submit repeated objections in a short period of time, we ask that the Energy Consents Unit or any relevant public body brings this to our attention as soon as possible so that the activity can be investigated and the user blocked where appropriate.
Similarly, if any automated system or bot is found to be circumventing our CAPTCHA or other safeguards, we ask that this is reported to us immediately.
If we are not made aware of an issue, we cannot investigate or resolve it.
ObjectNow remains committed to maintaining the integrity of the consultation process and will act promptly where misuse is identified.