AI in government: for whom, by whom?

Algorithms, machine learning and, more broadly, artificial intelligence (AI) promise to introduce astounding levels of efficiencies to cities' monitoring of citizens and infrastructure, their planning and governance, and their service response and decision-making. While we have yet to automate all of our planning and resource allocation decisions, advances in machine learning and neural networks, as well as our ability to collect data through even more network sensors, are bringing automation at least to certain parts of our civic problem-solving processes. One well known and somewhat contentious example is the use of predictive crime analytics to dispatch police units proactively, in anticipation of crime incidents. These tools may be branded, and even sold, under that catch-all name of artificial intelligence and packaged in smart city solutions such as the NVIDIA Metropolis platform. However optimistic we are about the potential for AI and algorithms to "do good," their positive social impact remains far from guaranteed without adequate regulation to ensure social accountability, reduction of harm, and compliance with legal rights and protections.