Global Assessment of Responsible AI in Cities – Research and recommendations to leverage AI for people-centred smart cities

In an era defined by unprecedented urbanization and technological evolution, cities worldwide facing complex urban challenges perceive Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a key consideration. Recognizing the urgency of designing, implementing, and governing AI for cities responsibly, this report presents a global assessment of AI in cities. It provides an overview of the current AI landscape and informs about the benefits, challenges, and opportunities that AI presents for urban environments from the global survey and case studies repository. Also, the report identifies the capacity gaps and needs and proposes recommendations for a more responsible application of AI in cities.

The rapid and widespread adoption of AI across the world requires a consolidated governance of AI, based on international cooperation at a global level, and derived from the experiences of people living in cities, at the local level. The Global Assessment draws attention to the significant increase in the adoption of AI technologies by cities worldwide, highlighting the critical role of governance structure, practices, and culture.

Cities and local stakeholders provide crucial evidence for AI applications and policymaking as they regularly make day-to-day decisions about AI and how it affects people’s lives.

For global efforts toward AI governance to be truly inclusive, it is crucial to include Latin America, Africa and Asia, the so-called Global South, in governance discussions. Results show, for example, that half of the cities that responded to the survey from Asia and Latin America do not have specific governance initiatives.