COGNITIVE CITIES: Advancing Smart Cities-X Infrastructures

In the pursuit of smart city and urban infrastructure innovation, the concept of cognitive cities has emerged as a beacon of possibility, harnessing the power of data, connectivity, and intelligence to advance smarter living. A cognitive city leverages advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics to create intelligent, responsive, and sustainable environment. As we stand at the intersection of technologies and smart city-X infrastructure development, it is crucial to examine the journey of cognitive cities and outline the path forward

The Way Forward:

Holistic Smart City-X Infrastructure Planning:

Cognitive city initiatives should prioritize holistic digital urban planning especially Digital Twins, 3D GIS (Geographic Information System), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geospatial AI and several other advanced technologies that consider the interconnectedness of various smart systems. This includes several domains like transportation, energy, environment, healthcare, public services and other related areas, fostering a more integrated and efficient smart city-X infrastructures.

Generative AI for Smart City-X infrastructures:

Generative AI, also known as evolving or self-improving AI, refers to a subset of artificial intelligence that possesses the ability to continually learn and adapt its capabilities over time. Unlike traditional AI models that are trained and deployed with fixed functionalities, generative AI systems possess an innate capacity to evolve through learning from new data and experiences. This evolution is reminiscent of the adaptability seen in biological organisms, enabling the AI to respond to changing circumstances and improve its performance autonomously.

Cities infrastructures that lack the resources to impose precise safeguards can consider starting their use of generative AI on low-risk tasks, such as drafting letters or materials to engage with the public more rapidly and responsively. Even then, it’s critical that a staff member review AI-generated materials, to ensure accuracy and appropriateness, before they are shared with the public.

Smart Cities-X Infrastructure's ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (A/IS) and Responsible Innovation:

As AI continues to play a pivotal role in cognitive cities, ethical considerations must be at the forefront of development. Embracing responsible innovation ensures that technology is deployed in ways that benefit all citizens while minimizing unintended consequences.

IEEE’s EAD guide (conceptual framework) has three pillars that can be broadly categorized as reflecting anthropological, political, and technical aspects:

1. Universal Human Values: A/IS must be designed to respect human rights, align with human values, and improve human well-being. They should also be designed to safeguard our environment and natural resources.
2. Political Self-Determination and Data Agency: A/IS has a great potential to nurture political freedom and democracy through the cultural precepts of individual societies when people have access and control over the data constituting and representing their identity, and their data is probably protected.
3. Technical Dependability: A/IS will reliably, safely, and actively accomplish the objectives they were designed for while advancing the human-driven values they intended to reflect. Technologies should be monitored to ensure that their operation meets predetermined ethical objectives aligning with human values and respecting codified rights. Additionally, validation and verification processes, including aspects of explainability, should be developed for better audibility and certification of A/IS. From the three pillars, IEEE EAD proposes “General Principles,” which are ethics and values that should be followed during the design, development, and implementation of A/IS:
4. Human Rights: A/IS shall be created and operated to respect, promote, and protect internationally recognized human rights. Human rights are defined by international law and provide a solid legal basis for Smart Cities projects that need international economic and technological resources.
5. Well-being: A/IS creators shall adopt increased human well-being as a primary success criterion for development. In smart city initiatives, we often find the quality of life of its population as one of its objectives. In this context, well-being human and quality of life are interconnected.
6. Data Agency: A/IS creators shall empower individuals with the ability to access and securely share their data to maintain people's capacity to have control over their identity. One of the most significant barriers in Smart City projects is how the acquired data will be treated. Currently, governments already have agencies and legislation for data maintenance. Therefore, when developing a Smart City project, one should consult government agencies about the legality of data use before the project is implemented.
7. Effectiveness: A/IS creators and operators shall provide evidence of the effectiveness and fitness of A/IS. In Smart Cities, efficiency measures are intrinsic to the concept.
8. Transparency: The basis of a particular A/IS decision should always be discoverable. In Smart Cities projects, transparency will bring tranquility and confidence to the population. Transparency can be integrated through certification systems by independent agencies, as in the case of IEEE Certified, a certification program to evaluate the ethics of Intelligent Autonomous Systems (AIS) to help protect, differentiate, and increase the adoption of products.
9. Accountability:? A/IS shall be created and operated to provide an unambiguous rationale for all decisions. The legislatures/courts should clarify responsibility, culpability, liability, and accountability for problems in Smart City, where possible, prior to development and deployment so that manufacturers and users understand their rights and obligations.
10. Awareness of Misuse: A/IS creators shall guard against all potential misuse and risks of A/IS in operation. The most effective action to prevent the misuse of Smart Cities resources is educating society as a whole and, as a last resort, applying laws.
11. Competence: A/IS creators shall specify, and operators shall adhere to the knowledge and skill required for safe and effective operation. Entities that operate Smart Cities should create documented policies to govern how Smart Cities should be operated. And before operating a system, ensure the operators have the requisite competencies.

Community-Centric Approach:

The journey forward involves placing a stronger emphasis on a community-centric approach. Engaging citizens in decision-making processes, understanding their needs, and co-creating solutions fosters a sense of ownership and collective responsibility.

Adaptive Governance Models:

Traditional governance models may need to evolve to keep pace with the dynamic nature of cognitive cities. Embracing adaptive governance structures that can respond to technological advancements and changing urban dynamics is crucial. Cognitive cities facilitate smart governance and political participation among citizens and officials through the use of ICTs like e-governance and e-democracy. They impact urban infrastructures such as systems of water and land use, energy, and transportation, and other related areas.

• Influencing Behavioral Change
• Human-Institutional Layer: Information technologies provide an opportunity to create new individual and social characteristics. This change offers new horizontal communication networks that in turn define the characteristics of a network society. In practice, network society that impacts on awareness and identity of individuals and governance improves social and institutional collaboration and cooperation. This results in more transparency, accountability, and decentralization. Accordingly, the quality of life improves in network society with more economic, social, and environmental sustainability. On other hand, privacy, security, and understanding of human behavior are main challenges of network society and user experience design and social computing are the tools that can be considered to deal with these challenges.
• Physical Layer: Smart infrastructure, a part of urban infrastructure, including software tools (e.g., database systems) and hardware tools (e.g., wired/wireless sensor network systems) shape network information technology systems in the physical layer.
• Data Layer: Real-time city-wide data and integration information systems form the data layer

Journey Way Forward

The prospective clients interested in Cognitive Cities should start with launching the Programme where the first step may be RFI to taste the market interest and collect the intelligence on the type of specifications services and solutions providers may offer as end to end delivery which can be further followed by RFP preparation, vendor's selection and Programme management for pilot implementation.

The tentative timelines may be as follows:

• Phase I (3-4 months): Cognitive Cities Strategy or Framework Design
• Phase II (2-3 months): Cognitive Cities Strategy or Framework Activation
• Phase III (4-9 months): Cognitive Cities Strategy or Framework Implementation

Conclusion:

Cognitive Cities are nothing but the advancement of Smart City-X infrastructures. The journey of cognitive cities represents a continuous evolution towards smarter, more responsive, and sustainable urban environments. As urban environments become increasingly complex, the ability of AI systems to continuously learn and evolve becomes essential. By harnessing the power of generative AI, smart cities are poised to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and the overall quality of life for their residents. However, a balance must be struck between technological advancements and ethical considerations to ensure that the benefits of generative AI are realized responsibly.

As the Kingdom undergoes a remarkable transformation, the integration of advanced technologies, data-driven decision-making, and citizen-centric design principles are reshaping its cities through PIF initiatives of NEOM, The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), Rua Al Madinah Holding Company (RAM), Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) and several others. NEOM shall harness cognitive cities framework for smart city-X infrastructure development. The city’s fabric shall be seamlessly integrated with advanced technologies such as IoT infrastructure, smart grids and autonomous transportation system. Furthermore, NEOM shall emphasize on connectivity, providing high-speed internet access and digital platforms that will facilitate seamless interaction between the residents, businesses and governments. In fact, by building “the world’s first synthetic intelligent operating system” – NEOM, along THE LINE, Saudi Arabia will create cognitive communities using data in ways far beyond the capabilities of the smart cities of today.

Navigating the way forward requires a commitment to inclusive development, ethical practices, and a deep understanding of the intricate balance between technology and humanity. As cognitive cities continue to unfold, the collaboration between citizens, businesses, and governments will be instrumental in shaping urban landscapes that are not only intelligent but also compassionate and resilient.

We at SDP Group of Companies, are determined to support you in your journey way forward in Cognitive cities strategy, strategy activation and transformation.

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