Citizens must be involved in creating smarter digital cities

The construction and infrastructure sector is often criticised for not clearly and in an accessible way illustrating the tangible benefits of its work to citizens. In my experience this is a charge that could be laid at the door of construction's growing number of digital advocates, who come together at conferences and workshops and are so excited by the tech that they forget about its impact on those whose lives it affects the most. So, it was a breath of fresh air to hear Ayesha Khanna, co-founder and CEO of ADDO AI, an artificial intelligence advisory firm and incubator, speaking at the Bentley Year in Infrastructure conference in Singapore, say passionately "It's never the right way to start with the technology – you should always start with the problem." Khanna repeatedly urged her audience to focus on citizens and the benefits of digital technology on real people's lives and making them better for longer. Khanna has been a strategic advisor on artificial intelligence, smart cities and fintech to a number of clients such as SMRT, Singapore's largest public transport company, SOMPO, Japan's largest insurance firm and Smart Dubai, the government agency tasked to transform Dubai into a leading smart city.