If anyone wants to persuade us of the need to make cities smarter, more efficient and more sustainable, the world’s population is expected to reach nine billion by 2037, and the majority of these people will continue to grow. Consider that the majority will live in cities and metropolitan areas. . In fact, it is estimated that 70% of people will live in cities by the second half of the 21st century.
This global population explosion is just one factor that motivates me to work on AI-based solutions for smart cities as a professor at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). The concept of smart cities, which use advanced technology and data analytics to improve quality of life, increase sustainability and optimize services such as transport, energy and public safety, is not new.
But with the rise of AI, AI is about to make a giant leap. This progress will be essential for the smooth functioning of cities, and even society itself, as the population inexorably increases towards he nine billion.
From automobiles to smart meters
It could be argued that AI is the latest in a long list of enabling technologies for smart cities, such as cloud computing, 5G, and the edge. AI can help us analyze vast amounts of data collected from various sources such as traffic management, surveillance cameras, utilities, and hospitals to identify patterns and identify better ways to do things.
Smart grids, AI-assisted vertical farms, meaning that self-driving cars choose the best route to travel, reducing traffic congestion, and all the energy produced is used or distributed elsewhere Imagine a future with an abundance of fresh, locally produced food in the United States.
But there are challenges in reaching these goals, so don’t assume the road is easy. The pace of smart city development is still somewhat hampered by the lack of data and knowledge sharing by the organizations that make up the city, while the rapid proliferation of connected devices, from cars to smart meters, has increased the threat of cyberattacks. increase.
Let’s start by looking at the need for data, a key requirement for developing new AI-based services. Even though data is growing exponentially and is projected to grow to over 180 zettabytes worldwide by 2025, there is a growing need for research and development for researchers and developers to tackle smart city innovation. It’s a sad irony that it’s still difficult to get data to
Self-driving cars may drive themselves, but they still need someone to repair and maintain them.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Part of this challenge stems from the need to protect data confidentiality and customer privacy, and the fact that many organizations, such as utilities, have never had to share large amounts of data. Thankfully, these problems employ a “federated learning” model, which means that data can be anonymized and generalized, and analyzed where it is obtained rather than sent elsewhere. can be resolved by doing
smart city success
However, one of the most important factors required for smart city success remains coordination, and it will require more collaboration among those who lead, operate and manage cities, especially when AI is involved. For cities to become truly smart, traditionally siled city services must become more interconnected, enabling collaboration, knowledge sharing and cross-pollination of ideas.
This concept of citywide executive coordination is just one of the many benefits of MBZUAI’s Executive AI Program (MEP). The program brings together senior leaders from top public and private sector organizations to learn about AI and its potential to transform industries. Of the 83 executives, most of whom are from the UAE, graduated from the program’s second and third batches in March.
As I watched the CEO, Executive Director, and Executive Officers get to know each other, team up to work on Capstone projects, and apply their newly discovered AI learnings to real-world challenges in areas such as healthcare, the team I was fascinated to see the work and collaboration. , security, environment, education, energy.
By focusing on new challenges and learning about each other’s industries, executives gained different perspectives on their field and, of course, the value of data. I believe one of the long-term benefits for the UAE and the wider region is enhanced inter- and inter-organizational smart city collaboration.
American historian and sociologist Lewis Mumford Lewis describes cities as “vast and complex organisms whose parts and organs must work together to sustain the whole.” Did.
As AI technology advances and we get closer to achieving smarter, more sustainable cities, it’s worth reminding ourselves of the importance of human collaboration to ensure that all the dots are connected.
Mohsen Guizani is a Professor of Machine Learning at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.
