VISIONS of what central Winchester could look like have been created using artificial intelligence.
Winchester resident and technology entrepreneur Tom Pocock has harnessed the power of AI to create several images of what the area around Silver Hill could be.
The scheme has a long and chequered history and Mr Pocock wants to see a more 'Silicon Valley' approach to the designs.
The latest iteration called Central Winchester Regeneration was relaunched in 2021 with development partners Jigsaw Consortium announced last year. A previous attempt fell apart following a judicial review process brought by former city councillor Kim Gottlieb.
Mr Pocock has used OpenAI and Dalle3 to create the images.
He said: “Silver Hill will cement Winchester's rank in the small cities of the UK and Europe. Decisions we make now about the fabric of the city will determine its fortunes for its current residents and their children.”
Mr Pocock, who attended Winchester College and sang in the Winchester Cathedral choir, has been experimenting with the use of AI over the last few years.
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He added: “I'm hoping we can take a Silicon Valley approach to city-building. We can use AI to rapidly iterate against public opinion. Previously it would have taken days or weeks of a specialist's time to produce sketches, and now you can redraft in seconds.
“This allows us to get the inputs of tens of thousands of people in the city, not just one or two hundred giving a one-off view. The collective input can help actively take part in the whole design process.
“We will hopefully follow China in thinking in a sophisticated way about collective living, especially for young people under 30 who can't easily afford to live here, and older people.
“Retail looks increasingly likely to migrate further online from the High Street, so can we protect the city from looking desolate in 10 years, and instead ensure it thrives.”
Mr Pocock added that the designs should be shaped by changes to work post-Covid. This includes working from home and increases in co-working.
To read more about Mr Pocock's idea, visit tome.app/geometry-7f1/vision-for-winchester-clov36v080ioyla7doufqzrfe.
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