If cities thought things were fast-moving, communities are also under a veritable tidal wave of new information and ways of transacting everyday life that threatens to swamp all but the most able and aware.
The digital divide is such a serious concern that it is being taken up at national and international government levels - with worries that it is impeding productivity and worsening inequalities. Cities are no exception, and with a focus on citizen-centric innovation, they must find ways to keep people engaged and involved, without tech and data becoming a barrier.
Digital Innovation Hubs
Reach out nationally to see what is available near you - and if you are in Europe, a good place to head to is your nearest Digital Innovation Hub. https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/digital-innovation-hubs-tool
CITYxCITY Academy
The CITYxCITY Academy is one way to help cities work with communities to share knowledge and engage people in different walks of life and sectors.
Innovation can and does provide enormous new benefits that were hitherto unobtainable: the capacity to seek the wisdom of the crowd through a touch of a button, or to engage in deeper forms of transparent democracy through citizen-centric processes is made possible through the power of data.
The ability to offer profound transparency in what have been largely opaque and complex spatial decision-making processes, for example, is a radical transformation in city governance. There is so much potential to innovate in cities, it is a virtual data goldrush. Data development rights - facilitating ‘airspace’ development over data fields - is one such rich seam of exploitation.
As cities recognise the data they have and the value this brings, there will be opportunities to lock this worth into the city’s future, rather than locking out future generations. OASC will work with cities to help them garner the most value, ethically and safely.
While internal challenges can be all-consuming, external challenges for cities are also very real and include:
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The new challenges thrown up through the process of innovation – including disruptive tech; this, alongside a changing regulatory environment, makes innovating more risky than it needs to be.
Cities are looking for ways to de-risk innovation so that they do not fall foul of ethical and legal principles. Working with Living Labs and other learning and deliberative structures that are designed to sandbox risk is a helpful way to overcome this.
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Working in spaces where there is an evolving regulatory and standardisation environment - legislation, regulation, standardisation… the MIMs are all evolving, which is great news for better defining the so-called rules of the road, but cities are keen for greater clarity about what to expect and when. Working in isolation is particularly tough for smaller cities – or for those where the challenges are less common.
Living in EU
The Living in EU programme will provide information and support on digital transformation, and currently offers the opportunity to join groups for collaboration on shaping ethical and legal principles for Europe.
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European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL)
At a more applied level, the European Network of Living Labs (ENOLL) offers a way to work with innovators with the know-how to do so safely and ethically.
<b></b>www.enoll.org<b></b>
OASC |
OASC is a key source of guidance for its members on standards, MIMs and regulations. |
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Data-driven innovation is throwing up a raft of new ethical dilemmas with which cities are having to wrangle. Data that is consumed by AI or machine-learning devices to generate further insight is a hot topic right now. AI-informed operations are being particularly deployed at spatial level, for example, via traffic cameras or to better understand crowds.
One key concern is the extent to which algorithmic learning and decision-making is safe, unbiased, accurate and effective. So, too, is the value of individual privacy in an increasingly surveilled world. Innovators are driving towards solutions for many of these challenges by moving the dial from citizens having to be actively across all engagement with actors seeking to use their data, to spaces in which a person’s intentions are effectively carried through myriad interactions online or via other forms of digital/AI engagement.
In the new data economy, cities are asking searching questions about which data is acceptable to monetise, and which is not. It is possible that some unintended consequences could emerge from data exploitation decisions that leave cities in a legally and morally grey area. The ethical debate surrounding data and tech-driven innovation will continue to evolve as new challenges emerge. While cities are unlikely to want to put themselves at the centre of these debates, it is critical that they continue to engage with the conversation, recognising when consensus has been reached on key elements, and being able to respond appropriately.
Some cities are working ahead of the curve - creating principles to guide their interaction with AI-based innovation and applying it to real-world solutions. OASC will soon produce further guidance on AI - watch this space.
Barcelona
Barcelona’s work provides a useful starting point. https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/digital/en/blog/barcelona-promotes-the-ethical-use-of-artificial-intelligence
Amsterdam AI Registry
Helsinki AI Register
MIMs
For our take on transparency, please take a look at MIMs 5 - it’s all about transparency and has been adopted as the common ground for working in a transparent manner.