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UN Launches Toolbox to Keep People Accountable for AI in Smart Cities
A new UN toolbox gives city officials guidance on deciding where AI can be used in public services, what safeguards are needed and when it should not be used. The resource sets out four principles for AI projects and arrives as the United f
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UN launches toolbox for AI decisions in cities
The United Nations has launched its first system-wide toolbox designed to keep people, rather than machines, accountable for public decisions in smart cities. Issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the U4SSC Toolbox for People-Centred Smart Cities in the AI Era is intended for mayors, city managers and policymakers. It offers guidance on how artificial intelligence can improve public services, what safeguards are needed and when the technology should not be used.
The toolbox was announced at the first United Nations Pavilion hosted by ITU and UN-Habitat at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Its launch comes as AI is being used in city halls for tasks such as answering residents through chatbots, selecting roads for repair and supporting administrative decisions. While these applications can make services more responsive, they can also raise risks involving bias, privacy, human rights and accountability.
Guidance for decisions across an AI project
Built around smart-city solutions from Helsinki, Finland, to eThekwini, South Africa, the toolbox sets out questions cities can consider throughout an AI project’s life cycle. These include what problem a city is trying to solve, who could benefit or be harmed, how an application should be monitored, who is accountable for its decisions and when the city should change course or stop using it.
The resource lays out four core rules: start with the urban problem rather than the technology; keep public decisions under meaningful human control; apply stronger safeguards as potential impacts increase; and recognize that choosing not to use an AI system can be a responsible outcome. The guidance is meant to help cities move from fragmented digital projects toward sustainable urban transformation, using digital technologies and global collaboration.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said, “Smart, sustainable cities are defined by how well people benefit from technology designed to improve everyday living. The U4SSC toolbox helps city officials turn international standards and responsible AI principles into guidance for better public services and lasting trust.”
UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach said, “Artificial intelligence and digital innovation must help cities better respond to the needs of communities, especially those living in informal settlements and other underserved areas. This means addressing gaps in data, protecting human rights and ensuring that residents and civil society meaningfully participate in shaping urban decisions.”
U4SSC marks 10 years
The launch coincides with the 10th anniversary of United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC), a global UN initiative coordinated by ITU, UN-Habitat and the UN Economic Commission for Europe, with support from 19 other UN agencies and programmes. The initiative provides an international platform for collaboration and develops practical resources to help cities advance sustainable digital transformation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Alongside the toolbox, U4SSC is releasing publications on urban AI governance, measuring people-centred digital transformation, security for digital public infrastructure, city data platforms, anticipatory governance and data-enabled destination management. The publications are intended to give city and national authorities a common UN-backed reference for using AI and data. U4SSC is supported by 22 UN agencies and programmes and develops practical tools, methodologies and key performance indicators to help cities with sustainable digital transformation.