AI enables even smarter cities and communities

By Ramy Ahmed Fathy, Chief of International Cybersecurity, NTRA, Egypt, and Jun Seob Lee, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Republic of Korea – Co-Chairs, ITU’s Focus Group on AI for Smart Sustainable Cities and Communities

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved rapidly from experimentation into real-world urban applications. Cities and communities, consequently, are entering a new phase of digital transformation.

AI can help analyse complex data, improve public services, optimize infrastructure and respond more effectively to environmental and social challenges. Still, realizing these benefits at scale will require AI systems that work together transparently and put people at the centre.

These timely discussions – opened by Finland’s Minister of Local and Regional Government, Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, and the Deputy Mayor of the City of Tampere, Jaakko Mustakallio – highlighted the need for national and local governments, the technology and standards communities, academia and international organizations to cooperate on shaping AI-enabled cities.

Cities must address questions of data quality, availability, transparency, accountability, bias and accessibility, while ensuring that AI systems are interoperable with existing digital infrastructure and can operate reliably at scale. Other challenges relate to skills, institutional capacity, investment, and unequal access to technologies and expertise.

This new digital divide requires cities to look beyond any single application and consider how to integrate AI responsibly into complex urban systems.

International collaboration, through efforts like our Focus Group, can bring city administrations and technology experts together to identify where standards and related guidance can help create the conditions to turn AI opportunities into tangible benefits.