Harvard surveyed 150 American city leaders — here’s how they’re using AI

Current state of urban AI adoption: Despite America’s global leadership in technology and innovation, U.S. cities lag significantly behind their international counterparts in implementing artificial intelligence and smart city solutions.

• Only three U.S. cities – New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. – rank among the top 50 smart cities globally according to the World Competitiveness Centre’s assessment
• This urban technology gap exists despite the United States’ dominance in startups, academic institutions, AI companies, and venture capital funding

Key implementation challenges: Local governments face several structural and cultural barriers that impede AI adoption and innovation.

• Bureaucratic silos and institutional rigidity limit cross-department collaboration and technological integration
• Complex regulatory frameworks create additional hurdles for implementing new AI solutions
• Risk-averse organizational cultures discourage experimentation with emerging technologies

Successful AI applications: Despite these challenges, some cities have effectively deployed AI to enhance municipal operations.

• Process automation has streamlined routine administrative tasks
• Data-driven decision making capabilities have improved through AI analysis
• Enhanced community engagement has been achieved through AI tools

Success factors: Cities that have successfully integrated AI solutions share several common characteristics.

• Development of clear strategic vision and implementation roadmaps
• Systematic approach to removing organizational and technical bottlenecks
• Formation of effective public-private partnerships
• Establishment of strong governance frameworks and principles

Looking beyond the status quo: While current adoption rates remain low, the transformative potential of AI in local government suggests an inflection point is approaching, though success will require cities to fundamentally rethink their approach to innovation and risk management.