More federal R&D funding and greater coordination of AI intelligence tools across an array of U.S. cities is needed, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said.

“City governments ultimately must take the lead in deploying AI smart city applications, but there is an important role for federal government in funding R&D and coordinating activities,” said Colin Cunliff, senior policy analyst at ITIF and co-author of the report, “How Congress and the Biden administration could jumpstart smart cities with AI.”…

ITIF called for a doubling of investment in R&D of AI with energy applications across the federal government. Also, ITIF called on Congress to fund 10 smart city cooperative research networks at universities across the country.

Also, ITIF called on Congress to provide at least $2 billion to fund a competitive smart cities program, noting that DOT had launched a smart city challenge in 2015, in which 80 cities competed for a $40 million grant.
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