In September 2016, Stanford's "One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence" project (AI100) issued the first report of its planned long-term periodic assessment of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society. It was written by a panel of 17 study authors, each of whom is deeply rooted in AI research, chaired by Peter Stone of the University of Texas at Austin. The report, entitled "Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030," examines eight domains of typical urban settings on which AI is likely to have impact over the coming years: transportation, home and service robots, healthcare, education, public safety and security, low-resource communities, employment and workplace, and entertainment. It aims to provide the general public with a scientifically and technologically accurate portrayal of the current state of AI and its potential and to help guide decisions in industry and governments, as well as to inform research and development in the field. The charge for this report was given to the panel by the AI100 Standing Committee, chaired by Barbara Grosz of Harvard University.

AI is the technology that will have the single biggest impact on cities over the next decade. At Urban.Us, we already meet teams using very large datasets to train algorithms to drive cars, water yards efficiently, guide drones to survey construction sites and route first responders to the people who need them most, and others who use bots to provide legal guidance to people with parking fines. These startups are benefiting from an explosion of data generated by human activities and sensors. Ironically, while the flood of data is difficult for people to understand, it's great for teaching machines. Thanks to cheaper storage and processing to train new algorithms, we've seen a surge in AI deep-learning techniques.

Stanford has undertaken an important effort: envisioning the implications of artificial intelligence over a 100-year span, to "anticipate how the effects of artificial intelligence will ripple through every aspect of how people work, live, and play." But there is a problem, potentially fundamental enough that the team may want to revisit its first report or adjust its approach as it goes forward. This is the report's relatively weak coverage of the urban, human security implications of AI. According to the purpose statement, this first study focuses on the implications of AI in 2030 in the "typical North American city." I suppose the thin treatment of security may derive from the huge assumption that North American cities will remain peaceful and secure, and thus AI and intelligent machines won't carry significant human security implications.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer the stuff of science fiction books and movies. It is a reality that is already permeating society and is affecting our daily lives. If you use facebook or google, artificial intelligence enables machines to virtually understand what you're looking for or to augment your network. In some countries and states in the US, self-driving cars have already taken to the streets. Elsewhere, companies are experimenting with bots that can act like lawyers, tellers, or doctors.