Innovative cities for E-governments. Artificial Intelligence initiatives in the public sector and the conflicts with privacy

Abstract

Local governments across the world are in the middle of technological and economic developments that come together in the catch-all label of smart cities or innovative cities. In a smart city, ICT-infused infrastructures enable the extensive monitoring and steering of city maintenance, mobility, air and water quality, energy usage, among others. The effect of growing population and the challenges regarding urbanization and environmental sustainability have led the European Union to adopt different policies and initiatives to promote this new city model. Nevertheless, such processes use and produce massive amounts of data, which could affect people's privacy. Countries like Spain have begun to invest in smart cities and Artificial Intelligence projects to improve efficiency in the public sector. However, the use of artificial intelligence can generate several problems such as opacity, legal uncertainty, or breaches of personal data protection. Therefore, the goal of this article is to identify the main legal challenges for public administrations derived from the development of innovative cities and the use of AI regarding to privacy.