A rigorous study of
215 cities worldwide
In the third quarter of 2026, ThoughtLab conducted a rigorous study of 215 cities worldwide to understand the progress urban leaders are making on developing people-first AI-powered cities. To provide city leaders with an actionable playbook, the study examined the most effective strategies and digital solutions used by cities to achieve their future goals, along with the challenges they face in achieving results. To facilitate rigorous benchmarking, our 2026 study analyzed cities across all regions, with a combined xxxx million residents—or xxxx% of the world’s population. This makes it one of the most comprehensive studies of smart cities ever conducted.
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ABOUT THEir CITY'S AI USE
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How AI will improve urban living
Since 2017, ThoughtLab has examined the strategies and technologies shaping the world’s smart cities. This is now our seventh major smart-city study—and given AI’s rapid rise and power to transform cities, it is arguably our most important.
Throughout history, new technologies have triggered people’s fears. Now it’s AI’s turn. Headlines warn that AI will threaten jobs, human skills, and privacy, while spreading misinformation. Those concerns are real and must be properly addressed. But history tells a broader truth: technological change unlocks huge opportunities for humanity. That story is now unfolding before our eyes in cities around the world.
AI is helping cities become more proactive, connected, and responsive to citizen needs. By linking data across departments, AI replaces fragmented, reactive processes with coordinated action, freeing public employees to solve human problems and make better decisions.
AI makes government more, not less, human. Rather than forcing residents to navigate complex systems, cities can anticipate needs, simplify access to support, and connect services across agencies, providing more accessible, personalized, and trusted public service.
The urban vision of the future
Our research shows a bright future for cities. Intelligent traffic systems will use continuous sensor data to improve traffic flows in real time, while physical AI will maintain roads, bridges, and other vital infrastructure. AI will help cities expand and personalize services for all residents, including older, disabled, and underserved people. Residents will interact with the city through multilingual interfaces to navigate services, report issues, and help shape local decisions.
City brains that connect real-time data across urban domains will upgrade emergency response, waste management, and public safety. Environmental monitoring and AI-powered simulations will help cities protect green spaces and mitigate climate risks.
But to achieve this vision, city leaders must manage AI’s risks. Public worries over privacy, surveillance, bias, safety, and employment must be addressed. If used improperly, AI can heighten cybersecurity risks, deepen inequity, and lead to misinformation and poor decisions.
Yet our study offers grounds for optimism. City leaders are acutely aware of these risks and are building safeguards into their AI strategies and governance systems. In fact, most cities are taking a people-first approach to AI innovation: using AI to meet citizen needs and generate tangible economic, social, and environmental benefits.
A playbook for Leaders
To help cities build a successful AI strategy, ThoughtLab partnered with urban leaders from government, academia, and industry on an extensive study of urban AI strategies and plans. We benchmarked 215 cities, reviewed 212 published city AI plans, and held peer interchanges and interviews with more than 50 urban experts. Our AI maturity model identified AI Leaders and what they do differently across every urban domain. The result is this evidence-based playbook designed to help urban leaders harness AI for the public good.
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