Algorithmic Cities: The Sociological Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Urban Life
Abstract:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the social, economic, and political fabric of urban life. As cities adopt AI technologies for governance, planning, and service delivery, urban sociologists face new challenges in understanding how these systems reshape power relations, access to resources, and civic participation. This paper critically examines the sociological impacts of AI in urban contexts, focusing on seven key domains: predictive governance, labor and economic restructuring, smart city planning, housing and gentrification, the digital divide, civic engagement, and environmental justice. Drawing on recent scholarship, we explore how AI-driven systems both reflect and reinforce existing urban inequalities, particularly along racial, class, and geographic lines. We argue that while AI offers potential for more efficient and responsive urban management, it also risks deepening exclusion, eroding privacy, and marginalizing vulnerable populations. Through a sociotechnical lens, we high light the need for equity-centered approaches to AI deployment in cities, emphasizing transparency, accountabil ity, and inclusive design. Ultimately, this paper contributes to a growing body of urban sociology literature that interrogates the algorithmic turn in city life and calls for a reimagining of urban futures grounded in justice and democratic participation.
