Can artificial intelligence build smarter and more inclusive cities?

Source Domain: news.az

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how modern cities function. From traffic management and public transportation to policing, healthcare, energy systems and urban planning, AI is becoming deeply integrated into urban life.

Governments around the world increasingly view smart technologies as essential tools for solving some of the biggest challenges facing rapidly growing cities.

At the same time, the expansion of AI powered urban systems is raising major concerns about privacy, inequality, surveillance and digital control. Critics warn that while AI can improve efficiency and sustainability, it may also deepen social divisions if access to technology remains unequal or if governments rely excessively on automated decision making.

These debates have become one of the central discussions at World Urban Forum 13, where policymakers, urban planners, technology companies and researchers are examining how artificial intelligence may shape the cities of the future.

The core question is increasingly clear: can AI help create cities that are not only smarter, but also more inclusive, sustainable and humane?

Why are cities turning to artificial intelligence?

Urban populations are growing at an unprecedented pace. According to United Nations estimates, nearly 70 percent of the world’s population could live in urban areas by 2050. This rapid urbanization is placing enormous pressure on transportation networks, housing systems, public utilities, healthcare infrastructure and environmental sustainability.

Traditional governance systems often struggle to manage such complexity in real time. AI offers governments a way to process massive amounts of data quickly and automate many urban management functions.

Modern cities generate enormous volumes of information every day through: