Hypercity: artificial intelligence and cities of the future

This book results from the author’s interest in two of the major global challenges of the 21st century: tackling climate change; and wrestling with the implications of artificial intelligence, and its application to modern infrastructures.
One of the key images introduced by the book is that of hypercity, an evolution of the smart city, where artificial intelligence, integrated into urban systems, interacts with social, ethical, economic and environmental dynamics. This book offers an initial reading reading of these ongoing transformations (encouraged by new technologies in urban activities) and sets out an interpretative framework that integrates the different dimensions of the city of the future.
A holistic vision, in which artificial intelligence is seen neither as the cure for everything, nor as an absolute evil, but as a catalyst that can accelerate the transition towards more sustainable and resilient urban models. It is, nevertheless, vital that we are aware of AI’s possibilities and risks.
The hope is to stimulate scholars, citizens and administrators to engage in a collective re-examination of the future of our cities and, ultimately, of our civilisation.