Guest Contributor: Lynn Chorn

Part 1 of 2

Around the world, cities are using AI to be more responsive, more predictive, and less wasteful. Pittsburgh’s Surtrac system used AI to adapt traffic signals to reduce travel-time by 25%, wait-time by more than 40%, and emissions by 20%. In Buenos Aires, the city’s chatbot, Boti, has handled millions of resident interactions, helping answer common questions without forcing people into endless phone trees. And through Google’s Project Green Light, cities including Seattle, Boston, Hamburg, and Rio de Janeiro have tested AI-assisted traffic optimization. Google has said participating intersections have seen up to 30% fewer stops and around 10% lower emissions. Singapore analyzes real-time data to manage traffic flow, reduce congestion, and improve public transit efficiency.

Consider that cities across the world are already using AI in core categories: efficiency, sustainability, mobility, and quality of life. For example:

  • Making City Services Faster and More Responsive – Cities are adopting AI-driven communication platforms that streamline interactions between citizens and governments, reducing wait times and administrative bottlenecks.
  • Maintaining Infrastructure – Cities are using AI to monitor infrastructure in real time and fix issues before they escalate. In New York City, sensor networks collect data across infrastructure systems, identifying maintenance needs and improving city services. AI-powered computer vision systems are used globally to detect graffiti, damaged roads, and unsafe crosswalks, allowing cities to prioritize repairs efficiently, instead of relying on complaints.
  • Fighting Crime – In Seoul, AI analyzes large datasets to detect crime patterns and improve public safety strategies. AI -powered video analytics detects anomalies, monitors environments, and even deploys emergency services more efficiently. AI systems can identify patterns in data that humans might miss, making communities safer without increasing costs.
  • Optimizing Utilities and Improving Sustainability – In Amsterdam, AI systems monitor and control energy usage across buildings. In the UK, AI-driven water systems have reduced operational costs and prevented millions in environmental penalties by detecting inefficiencies and leaks. Barcelona uses sensor networks to manage waste, lighting, and water systems more efficiently. And Tokyo’s “Plant Doctor” uses AI to monitor tree health and detect disease early.
  • Creating a Sandbox Environment – AI is enabling cities to simulate the future before building it. In Singapore and Shanghai, digital twin models replicate entire urban environments, allowing planners to test infrastructure changes, population growth scenarios, and environmental impacts before implementation, avoiding costly mistakes.

So what about Houston? Patrick Oathout has some ideas. He oversees a team of 90 at Scale AI, a company dedicated to ensuring the safe use of AI. He is also running for Houston City Council District C. He has a unique perspective because he understands AI better than most, is a Houston native, and is civic-minded. I recently interviewed him for this blog post.

He brought up 311, which may be the clearest example of where residents feel the drag of city government. “Services are often customer service fronts. I’m missing my trash can, my I have a pothole in my road. There’s flooding, and so 311, these days in Houston is notoriously delayed,” Oathout said. “It takes six to nine months to solve something.” An example is that a resident missing a trash pickup or dealing with a lost trash can should not have to wait on hold, get transferred, or file multiple tickets to learn what happened. A well-designed AI assistant could answer routine questions instantly, check service schedules, guide residents to the right department, and summarize requests, giving staff more time to solve other problems.

That same logic applies to permitting. If an application is missing documents, if a form is incomplete, if a submission does not match code requirements, AI can flag those issues in seconds. Oathout supports that kind of use, but with an important boundary: there should be “a human in the loop.” The most useful municipal AI is not the kind that replaces humans, but removes the slow, grinding friction from systems residents already dislike. “It would save the city time and organizational drag,” he added. And for developers looking to build here, it could save them money on permitting delays.

Houston-area researchers are also working on AI-assisted flood modeling, mapping, and infrastructure analysis, which could have far-reaching implications for the flood-prone city. Houston also struggles with deteriorating infrastructure, specifically water lines. AI-assisted maintenance could help identify failing lines, road deterioration, or public equipment problems before they become emergencies. All this will help Houston become more resilient in the future.

The uses for AI in the coming decades are limitless. Oathout sees that long horizon clearly. “AI will be the infrastructure, the underpinning infrastructure, digital infrastructure, for all of this,” he said. He was speaking about a future that, in many cases, is already here.

That is not to say adopting AI to help Houston isn’t without risks. Oathout explained that cities, like private entities, will be slow to adopt it for customer-facing interactions because people are unlikely to give the system another chance if there is a problem. Cities are not just service providers. They are public institutions, which means they operate under a burden of legitimacy that private companies do not. A retail chatbot can be annoying and still survive. A city chatbot that gives one outrageous answer can become a political crisis overnight. Oathout put it bluntly: “All you need is one social media moment” for a municipal AI system to say something offensive, dangerous, or absurd, and public officials may shut the whole experiment down indefinitely. This could have a ripple effect on the adoption of other AI systems, which have the potential to benefit the city. I believe that Houston will get there. The city has always prided itself on its modernization and has not shied away from it. And the adoption of AI is another technological change that will transform the city in unforeseen ways, just like air conditioning did. My money is on the city becoming more sustainable, more efficient, and more livable.

About Lynn Chorn

I’m a generalist, urbanist, and futurist with a 30-year background in small business development, investing and project management. I believe all cities can become more walkable, sustainable, and economically resilient. I work with city stakeholders to design the futures they want and avoid those they don’t, ensuring long-term stability and prosperity for residents, developers, and businesses.