AI-driven innovation in smart city governance: achieving human-centric and sustainable outcomes
Gerardo Bosco, Vincenzo Riccardi, Alessia Sciarrone, Raffaele D’Amore, Anna Visvizi
Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to explore the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in smart cities (SC) as a key aspect of enhancing urban governance and achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This integration presents significant opportunities and certain risks that require careful and proportionate management. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, and using a hierarchical impact assessment method, this study suggests how to measure the impact of AI-enhanced SC projects on ethical principles throughout respective projects’ life cycle. Having outlined a typology of SC applications, and having matched them with specific AI models, this paper develops and applies an analytical framework that serves as a valuable tool for monitoring ethical aspects of AI-based projects implemented in SC. Findings The study presents a descriptive model and a single visual scheme that synthesize the analytical framework. These tools provide support to public and private stakeholders, including citizens, NGOs and academic and research institutes by offering a unified method to assess and understand the ethical implications of complex SC systems. Through a hierarchical approach, the study aggregates the impacts of child nodes at each layer. Originality/value The study's contribution consists in the introduction of a comprehensive analytical framework that enables a structured assessment of ethical implications in AI-enhanced SC projects. By providing a clear approach for monitoring ethical impacts, the research fills a gap in literature as well as in practice as regards responsible and ethical use of AI in urban governance.