ITcon Vol. 30, pg. 1866-1895, http://www.itcon.org/2025/76

Implementing strategic AI policies for ethical and sustainable smart cities

DOI:10.36680/j.itcon.2025.076
submitted:May 2025
revised:December 2025
published:December 2025
editor(s):Purushothaman M B, GhaffarianHoseini A, Ghaffarianhoseini A, Rahimian F
authors:Ebere Donatus Okonta, Dr.
School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
e.okonta@tees.ac.uk

Farzad Rahimian, Professor
School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
f.rahimian@tees.ac.uk

Nkiru Lilian Agu, Dr.
School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
n.agu@tees.ac.uk

Excel Ovie Michael, PGR Student
Department of Social Science, National Open University of Nigeria, FCT Abuja, Nigeria
nou254240533@noun.edu.ng
summary:Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into smart city initiatives holds immense potential to enhance urban sustainability, efficiency, and liveability. However, the ethical and effective implementation of AI technologies in smart cities requires developing and implementing robust policies and governance frameworks. This study explores the critical role of ethical AI policies in the development of smart cities. This study examines the role of ethical AI policies in enabling sustainable and inclusive smart city development. A mixed-methods approach is adopted, combining a narrative review to establish the conceptual foundations and core principles of ethical AI, a PRISMA-guided systematic review to identify implementation challenges and mitigation strategies, and a SWOT analysis to comparatively evaluate national AI policy frameworks across five Northern European countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Norway. The findings demonstrate that ethical AI policies are strategically influential across key smart city domains, particularly mobility, energy, governance, infrastructure, and environmental management. While countries with clear financial commitments and long-term strategic planning exhibit stronger policy readiness, persistent barriers remain, including interoperability challenges, data privacy and cybersecurity risks, limited regulatory standardisation, and AI skills shortages. This research offers original cross-national insights into ethical AI governance for smart cities and provides policy-relevant recommendations to support ethical, resilient, and sustainable urban development.
keywords:artificial intelligence (AI), smart cities, AI policy, urban governance, urban sustainability, ethical AI, AI governance, responsible AI
full text: (PDF file, 0.819 MB)
citation:Okonta E D, Rahimian F, Agu N L, Michael E O (2025). Implementing strategic AI policies for ethical and sustainable smart cities, ITcon Vol. 30, Special issue Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), pg. 1866-1895, https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2025.076
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