US government urged to 'jump start' smart cities - Cities Today - Connecting the world's urban leaders

The US federal government should do more to fund research and facilitate collaboration which helps cities tap the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, says a new report from non-profit thinktank the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). "Smart cities offer an important opportunity to address both infrastructure needs and strained state and local budgets at the same time," the report says, noting the large revenue shortfalls many cities face due to the pandemic. Cities can use AI in transport, the electrical grid, buildings, city operations and more. Similarly, a 2020 report from Microsoft and PwC found that AI-enabled decarbonisation technologies could reduce the carbon intensity of the global economy. ITIF's research outlines several key challenges to deployment.