The municipal world often struggles to keep up with newer technologies, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no different. While many federal government programs have successfully integrated this technology into their decision-making processes, AI in local government is often still met with skepticism and resistance.
However, AI is a powerful force that can increase the efficiency of public services and better meet citizens’ needs. It can help address common issues that challenge municipalities, like automating routine tasks or digitizing historical datasets. AI can also enable city leaders to plan new infrastructure quickly and intelligently, such as EV charging networks, to equip cities for the future.
Let’s explore how AI can help streamline local government operations and strengthen the connections between public institutions and the people they serve.
AI can improve previously inefficient processes and systems and simplify tasks that we thought would never become easier. Accelerating processes also increases their reliability, which is particularly important regarding citizen health and safety issues.
For example, AI can analyze massive amounts of data to expand healthcare and education infrastructure or optimize energy resource use during a blackout. A digital twin can give cities real-time intelligence about traffic jams, parking lots, bus routes, street lights, greenhouse emissions and transportation flow.
Any way you look, AI is a core component of smart cities and a force for local governments looking to drive their administrations into the future.
Some cities have already integrated AI technologies to improve citizens’ quality of life and simplify their administration’s operations.
One use case of how AI, IoT and smart cities holistically interact with each other is Barcelona, Spain. Here, advanced algorithms integrate data from weather reports, traffic conditions observed through computer vision-powered satellite systems and air quality samples. By analyzing this data, city officials can optimize traffic management, monitor and reduce energy consumption and enhance public safety.
Another example is Venice, which has a real-time control center that provides information on water quality, wastewater, air health and pedestrian traffic.
Barcelona and Venice are examples of many cases of AI use in local government, but many other applications can provide immense support to local governments.
AI for urban planning and infrastructure management is one of the more obvious use cases for this technology within the context of smart cities. For example, AI can analyze vast datasets and use them to create digital twins. These solutions are realistic simulations of cities that act as interactive replicas where engineers and city planners can test their ideas in a sandbox environment. This test environment allows teams to calculate the impact of every solution beforehand, minimizing disruptions and maximizing the efficiency of resource allocation.
For example, many cities are creating digital twins to test new smart city IoT sensors located throughout the city and evaluate autonomous vehicles and autonomous food delivery in a controlled environment. AI can also be used for predictive maintenance of public infrastructure and buildings, preventing costly breakdowns, reducing downtimes and ensuring continuity of services.
Many cities leverage CCTV cameras, AI and video analytics to learn about pedestrian and vehicle traffic patterns and improve movement throughout the city. AI can help identify roadway management opportunities and enhance the city’s emergency response. AI smart city solutions can also optimize traffic flow in real time, reducing congestion and the risk of accidents and troublesome gridlock.
For example, Singapore launched the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). This system integrates data collected from sensors, cameras and other IoT devices to control the ebb and flow of the local population. This constant flux of information can optimize public transport policies and infrastructure planning. This data can generate data-driven insights to share with the public to help motorists make informed travel decisions.
Chatbots and AI-powered tools can help public workers in many ways. For example, the European country of Estonia developed Bürokratt, a virtual assistant user interface that provides citizens with all kinds of information. Powered by AI, this chatbot can help ease the job of civil servants by guiding users through processes like filing complaints or applying for services via a voice-based interaction.
Redbox Copilot is another notable example of how AI can reduce the workload of public workers. Launched in 2023 by the UK government, this chatbot uses a large language model (LLM) to summarize civil service documents and find specific information through guided searches. This capability reduces manual work on public workers while increasing efficiency, allowing civil servants to focus on other aspects of their roles.
A Saudi technology company in the public safety and smart mobility sector created virtual reality glasses for people to navigate through an airport with real-time directions to baggage claim, transportation options and even how to get to your hotel. While on rail transportation, the glasses provide the user with information about buildings or landmarks along the path, offer options to get tickets to local events and notify the user when to exit the train.
AI has enormous potential in the utilities and smart water infrastructure sector. Control rooms using AI-powered software can continuously analyze data from underwater sensors and treatment plants, detecting contaminants and anomalies in real time. Similarly, weather prediction sensors can analyze air quality and monitor urban pollution to minimize health risks.
This environmental data can identify sources of pollution in both air and water, warning public health authorities about potential environmental crimes and factory leaks. We can also use smart meters and other tools to improve utilities’ operational efficiency and proactively monitor water facilities and pipes for any potential issues, including standard repairs, that could result in downtime or more costly repairs.
For example, Thames Water in London integrated network digitization and data-driven insights and apps to track current and future water demand, improve water treatment and reduce supply interruptions by predicting and reducing bursts and micro-targeting leaks. The digital twin and real-time dashboards provide teams information on plant efficiency, drinking water quality, average water processed, drinking water index and real-time leak telemetry.
When emergencies arise, such as natural disasters, fires, or serious accidents, AI is a force for good that can save countless lives. Real-time data from IoT devices, cameras and sensors can help dispatchers decide where to allocate resources based on current needs.
In some cities, video analytics from CCTV cameras provide real-time insights into road conditions, such as vehicle traffic jams, potholes, road barriers, and other obstacles that can disrupt emergency response.
AI can also provide personalized plans for various potential crises, sometimes before they happen. This proactive use of AI in local government can save lives by increasing preparedness before a disaster occurs.
Efficient and transparent public fund management is a growing concern for many local administrations. Using impartial AI tools improves accountability and helps rebuild strained relationships between taxpayers and municipalities. AI-powered data analytics solutions ensure cities adhere to budgets and prevent accounting errors. Financial information can be integrated from multiple sources, such as documents and databases, improving the efficiency of fiscal report coverage and detecting any sign of potential fraud.
AI can transform what used to be a reactive approach to community issues into a proactive one. Multiple data points from website forms, social media posts and news can be analyzed, cross-referenced and key issues pinpointed, allowing officials to address the problems before they escalate into widespread concerns.
Governments and local authorities can identify critical needs, anticipate them by acting early and ensure that public services are more responsive to citizens’ expectations. Early action can increase community well-being and overall sentiment towards local government.
Hyperconnected cities use technology, data and citizen engagement to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These cities are in step with new ways of working under Industry 4.0 and excel at using partners to drive change and provide innovative funding methods.
The use of AI in local government certainly looks promising, but its implementation must first overcome several barriers. Financial constraints represent the first major roadblock, as AI technologies require significant investments.
Public authorities usually need help to catch up with infrastructure and software, requiring highly specialized personnel to account for knowledge gaps. In the public sector, the hiring steps can be lengthy and often unnecessarily complex. Additionally, many government employees may need more technical expertise to work effectively with AI, making extensive training programs necessary to close any skills gap.
This expense may prove too prohibitive for smaller or underfunded local governments, delaying or preventing adoption. To overcome these challenges, informing stakeholders of AI’s value and proving that this technology can save many more resources than it costs in the long run is essential.
Other issues to address before implementation are ethical considerations in AI and privacy concerns. AI systems must be transparent and accountable to maintain public trust and protect sensitive citizens’ data by establishing robust security parameters like those mandated by ISO 27001. Potential algorithm biases tremendously impact local communities and must be deleted during training.
AI technology offers enormous opportunities for public authorities and governments to run more efficiently and meet citizens’ needs. The examples of Estonia, the UK and Singapore, among many others, show us how AI adoption is already becoming a trend. Municipalities are streamlining processes, budgets are more transparent, health outcomes are improved and cities are becoming smarter and more livable.
AI can be a tool and act as an intermediary between citizens and governments, helping them understand each other and fostering a more democratic governance model. It can also improve the welfare and health of communities, reduce socio-economic barriers and ensure a more sustainable and equitable future for everyone.
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