Artificial intelligence has already started to have an impact on urban settings at an unprecedented pace, with sophisticated solutions being deployed in the streets, at airports and in other city installations. In fact, cities are becoming experimental sites for new forms of artificial intelligence and automation technologies that are applied across a wide variety of sectors and places.

These developments, and emerging practices such as predictive policing, are dramatically changing cities and our societies at a time when the world is experiencing rapid urbanization and a range of changes and challenges: climate change, the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to basic urban services, infrastructure, housing, livelihoods, health and education. At the same time, AI and AI-enabled solutions are opening up new opportunities for cities while also being deemed to pose significant risks and challenges, such as potential bias and discrimination, privacy violations and other human rights violations, including surveillance schemes.

To support cities in their efforts to appropriately apply artificial intelligence, UN-Habitat has partnered with Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute to provide reflections and guidance on AI and its responsible use in cities. The paper, which is part of our strategy to promote a people-centred approach to digital transformation, covers urban applications of AI, risks, sets out specific approaches and tools for urban AI governance, and provides a set of key recommendations for urban leaders implementing AI in  local governments.

It is important for local (and national) governments to recognize the risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence that can arise as a result of flawed AI data, tools and recognition systems. Our preferred approach to AI in urban environments is anchored in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and UN-Habitat’s specific mandate to promote inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities (SDG 11). Our approach is aligned with our people-centred and climate-sensitive approaches to innovation and smart cities, which seek to make urban digital transformation work for the benefit of all, driving sustainability, inclusivity, prosperity and the realization of human rights in cities and human settlements. Our approach also focuses on addressing safety and urban planning concerns to ensure people-centred, safe and appropriate deployment of artificial intelligence within cities.

Within this approach, we emphasise the important role that governments, particularly local authorities, play in stewarding the necessary frameworks, infrastructure and capacity development to manage and govern the responsible deployment and use of AI-powered solutions.

Thanks to our partners at Mila for their collaboration.

I hope you find this report insightful and useful.