Artificial intelligence comes into play as smart cities become not just an idea for the future, but a present reality. Cutting-edge technologies are at the forefront of this change, driving valuable strategies and optimizing the industry in all operations. These technologies are quickly becoming the solution for realizing smart city and clean city initiatives, as well as net zero commitments.

AI is increasingly integrated into the development of smart cities. A 2018 Gartner report https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3870008/three-rules-when-using-ai-to-add-value-to-your-iot-smart0 predicted that AI would become a critical element 30% of smart city applications by 2020, compared to only 5% a few years ago. AI implementation is quickly recognized as the not-so-secret ingredient helping major energy providers achieve their lowest carbon footprint yet, along with unmatched sustainability and attractive profit margins.

What makes a city “smart” is the collection and analysis of vast amounts of data in many sectors, from metropolitan development and the allocation of public services to manual functions like municipal services. Smart cities require the construction and maintenance of arrangements of sensors, equipment and other systems designed to create sustainability and efficiency.

Changing the strategy behind a city’s utility operations is one of the main keys to making it smarter and more sustainable. AI solutions are already making significant progress in this area. As the CEO of an AI company creating software for the utility industry, the impact that advanced solutions are already having on the industry is something that excites me.

The Nvidia Metropolis platform, which uses smart video analytics to improve utilities, logistics, and more, is a real-world example of AI powering smart city utilities. Nvidia describes it as being designed to “create more sustainable cities, maintain infrastructure and improve public services for residents and communities”. The company collects data from sensors and other IoT devices, city-wide, to provide insights that can lead to improvements in areas such as disaster response, asset protection, forecasting supply and traffic management.

Another solution at the forefront of building smarter cities is a project led by Xcell Security House and Finance SA which aims to build the world’s first power plant guided by cognitive AI, boosting the development of public services. in west Africa. As the first implementation of an AI-powered factory from scratch, it will use advanced sensor placement technology and techniques that will integrate knowledge and expertise into every part of the facility’s processes. . Stakeholders will have simplified access to facility-wide information, creating a factory environment with greater risk mitigation as well as maximized efficiency and productivity.

These are just two of the many emerging applications of AI in the development of smart cities. When applying AI, the industry is also expected to achieve greater cost and operational efficiency in several key areas such as predictive maintenance, load forecasting / optimization, reliability of the network, prevention of energy theft and optimization of renewable resources.

When it comes to energy efficiency, many factors come into play, including the impact of environmental factors as common as temperature and humidity levels. Historically, experienced human operators were best equipped to identify adjustments that improve efficiency. Today, cognitive AI is taking steps to encode this human knowledge and expertise across supplier operations, providing recommendations at all times. Explainable AI builds the confidence operators, engineers, and stakeholders need to quickly resolve acute issues. Judicious situational awareness of the system helps detect, predict, and resolve problems, even when circumstances are constantly changing – scenarios as critical as supplying water and electricity to an entire city.

AI is already playing a key role in supporting the move towards smarter cities by helping entire sectors move closer to efficiency and net zero goals. Achieving a carbon-free future will require smarter processes that improve efficiency and reduce waste. AI for utilities can increase productivity, draw more attention to resource consumption, and accelerate the adoption of renewable and carbon-friendly strategies globally.

According to an IDC report, smart city technology spending across the world reached $ 80 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach $ 135 billion by 2021. It is imperative that businesses, industries and other entities wishing to participate in this milestone of digital transformation seek industry-grade AI companies with software that delivers holistic, organization / sector / city-wide insights through sensor placement technology and data collection techniques.

Governments at all levels, as well as public and private organizations, are facilitating technological implementation and digital transformation. Private and public partnerships have become a major mechanism through which cities can adopt technology that makes them smarter. The best course of action is to adopt an AI that combines knowledge-based reasoning with advanced digitization techniques, helping stakeholders distinguish between unforeseen scenarios and make tough choices.

Choosing the most dynamic form of AI to transform the utilities sector will remarkably contribute to the development of smart cities. Improved communication, stronger collaboration, increased fuel savings, and reduced waste will help businesses – especially in high value-added industries – increase profits. Indelible process improvements, like streamlined operational capabilities where all facilities work more efficiently in harmony, are the future of smart city technology.

AJ Abdallat is CEO of Beyond Limits.