The Ethics And Practice Of AI Localism At A Time Of COVID-19 And Beyond
October 2020 September 2021
October 2020 September 2021

As they grapple with COVID-19 and other challenges, cities worldwide are mobilizing AI technologies to help trace patient contacts, automate decision-making, and monitor citizen movements. These developments are part of the emergence of AI Localism, a term coined by Stefaan Verhulst and Mona Sloane for a new and radical shift of AI governance from the national to the local level. While local AI leadership offers greater agility and potential for innovation, the urgency of the crisis has left little time to address ethical and human rights questions, and inform city officials of potential risks.
This project will identify successful, equitable and democratic global examples of local AI use and governance for COVID-19 as well as risks and challenges, including problematic AI applications, public concerns, and conflicts over AI use between cities and state and non-state actors. The project goal is to determine characteristics of success and share successful approaches that can be emulated by cities worldwide.
News and Updates
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Principal Investigators

PD Dr. Matthias Uhl, TUM School of Governance
TUM

Prof. Stefaan Verhulst, The Gov Lab
New York University

Prof. Jeannie Marie Paterson,PhD, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics
University of Melbourne

Mona Sloane, PhD, The Gov Lab
New York University
Researchers
- Andrew Young, The Gov Lab