An international team of researchers is raising concerns about the emergence of AI-led autonomous cities, highlighting several critical issues. According to their study, which appears in Urban Studies, these issues include:

  1. The competition between humans and AIs for control.
  2. The unsustainable nature of AI-driven cities due to energy-intensive systems.
  3. The risk of AI perpetuating racial and gender biases.
  4. Misalignments between AI and human values, such as justice and equity.
  5. The challenge of urban planning keeping pace with rapidly evolving AI technologies.

Dr. Federico Cugurullo from Trinity College Dublin’s School of Natural Sciences, who led the research, notes that while AI technologies like autonomous cars and urban software agents already exist, their integration into city governance could lead to unprecedented challenges. The concept of AI urbanism goes beyond the traditional smart city, potentially leading to scenarios where AI autonomously manages urban functions without human oversight.

Dr. Cugurullo emphasises that urban environments, which generate vast amounts of real-life data, are crucial for AI learning. However, this raises questions about whether the city's needs align with AI’s capabilities and whether human agency might be overshadowed by AI's growing role in urban management.

The study warns that the rise of AI in urban contexts could significantly alter city governance and planning, making it imperative to address these emerging issues proactively.