By Jim Damicis, Scarborough resident and Senior Vice President, Camoin Associates
By now, almost everyone has heard of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and many have used it. For this issue, I assessed what it knows about Scarborough. I asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT three questions: What is Scarborough’s economic outlook? Why is Scarborough a great place to live? What concerns should I have about it as a place to live? Here’s an example of what it said:
AI Prompt: “What concerns should I have about Scarborough, Maine, as a place to live?”
AI Response:
Rapid Growth & Development – Many residents are worried about the pace and scale of growth in town. Scarborough has been one of the state’s fastest-growing communities, and this has led to conflicts over new housing developments, zoning, and how to manage expansion sustainably.
Common concerns include:
- Infrastructure struggling to keep up with new housing and population.
- Perceived loss of small-town character.
- Debates over how much and what type of housing should be built (e.g., affordable vs. luxury).
Traffic & Transportation – Traffic congestion — especially on major routes like Route 1 and Payne Road — is frequently mentioned as a frustrating everyday issue. Many residents say roads get backed up, and public transportation options are limited.
Cost of Living & Property Taxes – Affordability is a big challenge: property taxes, home prices, and cost of services are rising with growth. In surveys, a large share of residents cite taxes and housing costs as top issues.
Environmental & Climate Risks – Scarborough’s coastal location brings some long-term concerns:
- A vulnerability assessment predicts sea level rise and flooding could increasingly impact neighborhoods like Pine Point and Higgins Beach over the next few decades.
- Coastal storms and climate-related impacts (e.g., storm surge, erosion) are ongoing planning issues.
Limited Public Transit & Walkability – The town has limited public transportation, and some areas lack continuous sidewalks or safe pedestrian infrastructure, which can make getting around without a car more difficult.
Schools & Enrollment Pressures – While local schools are generally well-rated, increasing student enrollment due to growth remains a concern, with some residents worried about future capacity and costs.
Reality Check
As someone who makes a living assessing economic factors for communities and helping them plan for the future, I found the AI results to be useful. They provided findings that, based on my knowledge of Scarborough, were on point. The economic factors were backed by data and findings from relevant reports. The qualitative findings were consistent with feedback from residents at meetings, community surveys, and Town planning processes. I also found results summarized in concise and easy-to-follow narratives.
What was helpful to me, particularly in my role as a community researcher, was that the sources used were provided. This allowed me to fact-check and consider the quality of the source. As a final benefit, I found that using AI saved time on my research. This remains true even when I factor in additional sources and conduct thorough fact-checking.
With all its benefits, I do have concerns and cautions regarding the use of AI for community research and assessment. While AI draws from relevant and documented sources, it likely misses or doesn’t share less obvious and nuanced resources. Typically, in my research, I uncover content and sources I was previously unaware of, or, after some digging, they lead me in a different direction or with a different perspective. The AI results about Scarborough were from easy-to-find sources. This is good for overviews but leaves me wondering what perspectives and insights AI missed. This can be overcome through additional research, including additional prompts with AI, but one must be disciplined to do so. Without that discipline, I would be concerned about the risk of creating and spreading misinformation as fact or information that lacks relevance (what is known in the business as “slop”).
Conclusion
- AI can be a very helpful tool for research and writing. The keyword is “tool.” It can assess, access vast amounts of information, and summarize, but good research should also include deeper inquiry and fact-checking, particularly to address potential biases.
- When using AI, go beyond your initial prompt. Ask in different ways and include follow-up prompts. This is the same rule I use when conducting interviews with people.
- Demand sources, verify, and fact-check – the same rule in research prior to AI.
Overall, I am very impressed and a bit concerned about my future as a consultant and writer. Well, at least I have a great community to live in. AI for better or worse or both is here and integrated into our daily lives and work. I encourage everyone to use it as a tool, not as the ultimate arbiter of the truth.
Photo by Conny Schneider
