Transforming land and property management with artificial intelligence
The Crown Estate is an independent business that bridges the public and private sectors. Managing a £16 billion portfolio of iconic landmarks across the UK, it stewards land across communities, countryside, coast, and seabed, creating lasting value for the nation and future generations.
The Crown Estate is harnessing the power of AI to support its mission of creating lasting and shared prosperity for all in the United Kingdom. As part of its forward-thinking digital strategy, The Crown Estate is incorporating cutting-edge AI technology to manage its portfolio, while better aligning with its Net Zero ambitions and sustainability goals.
Challenge: The sustainability and security of AI
The Crown Estate is tasked not just with innovation, but safeguarding the security and sustainability of the UK’s future, from thriving urban centres to precious coastal regions. The strategy and process to be adopted needed to articulate how AI could:
Rise to environmental and sustainability challenges
Prepare for increasing cyber threats
Increase value and competitive advantage from data assets
Accelerate digital transformation and future innovation
Solution: A comprehensive, people-first strategy for AI success
The Crown Estate partnered with Thoughtworks to define and implement a comprehensive AI strategy. To establish a clear direction, Thoughtworks’ multidisciplinary team of AI strategists, data scientists, and technologists collaborated with The Crown Estate's leadership team to understand their needs. Together, we built an AI strategy focused on putting people at the center of AI adoption, ensuring the technology empowers team members and enhances their work. The AI strategy covered:
Where we are now - The Crown Estate and Thoughtworks assessed the AI maturity of The Crown Estate, identifying opportunities for growth and establishing a transformative vision to integrate the latest AI advancements into all aspects of the business in a sustainable, scalable and responsible way.
What we need - The Crown Estate and Thoughtworks established what had already been achieved, and what more was needed to realize this AI vision. We assessed systems landscapes, technical readiness, AI literacy and process maturity to identify areas for improvement.
What’s next - The Crown Estate and Thoughtworks explored and prioritized dozens of use cases focused on both external impact, such as societal and environmental value, and internal benefits, including operational improvements and revenue growth. We identified immediate (one year) and long term (five years) steps, laying out a path of incremental improvements to build sustainable technology capabilities and foster a culture of innovation.
AI isn’t just a technology for us—it’s a tool to empower our people, accelerate our mission, and create meaningful, lasting change. Working with Thoughtworks felt like a true partnership; they listened, challenged us, and helped us stay focused on what really matters. Together, we created something intentional and actionable.
AI isn’t just a technology for us—it’s a tool to empower our people, accelerate our mission, and create meaningful, lasting change. Working with Thoughtworks felt like a true partnership; they listened, challenged us, and helped us stay focused on what really matters. Together, we created something intentional and actionable.
AI guiding principles
To ensure alignment with The Crown Estate’s strategic goals, overarching purpose and organizational values of being caring, together, creative, and impactful, Thoughtworks and The Crown Estate crafted four guiding principles for AI development:
- Human-centered AI: Prioritizing human augmentation, well-being, and accessibility, aiming to enhance experiences for both employees and the public.
- Culture of innovation and learning: Supporting a collaborative, agile approach that bridges technology with business needs, fostering a culture of safe experimentation and adaptability.
- AI as a strategic asset: Aligning with The Crown Estate’s mission, advancing its goals of national prosperity by enhancing operational efficiencies and cost-effectiveness with measurable value.
- Ethical and responsible AI: Embeds fairness, transparency, and accountability into all AI efforts, safeguarding data privacy and security while building trust.
The Crown Estate partnered with Thoughtworks to explore how AI could drive sustainable practices and long-term value. In just five weeks our collaborative approach involved identifying and prioritizing strategic use cases, followed by rapid development of POCs to validate their potential.
The Crown Estate partnered with Thoughtworks to explore how AI could drive sustainable practices and long-term value. In just five weeks our collaborative approach involved identifying and prioritizing strategic use cases, followed by rapid development of POCs to validate their potential.
Outcome: Positioning The Crown Estate for AI-driven impact
The Crown Estate now has a precise strategy to leverage AI. New initiatives will empower its people to be more effective, efficient and impactful in their work. With a culture that celebrates and encourages innovation in all areas, The Crown Estate is set to bring sustainable, lasting prosperity to the United Kingdom for years to come.
