AI Agents Are Coming to City Government

Cities around the world are planning to use AI agents this year. An AI agent is a smart computer program that can do tasks by itself. It doesn't need a person to tell it what to do every single time. In 2026, cities expect AI agents to help with many government jobs. They will help with permits, which are papers people need when they want to build something. AI agents will also work in emergency services, helping to respond when people call for help. AI agents will provide multilingual support, which means they can help people who speak different languages. Some cities are also using AI agents in their 311 services, which is a phone number people call to report problems like broken street lights or potholes.

AI Agents Need Good Cybersecurity

When cities use more AI agents, they face new dangers. Hackers can use AI to create deepfakes, which are fake videos or messages that look real. These deepfakes could trick people by pretending to be city leaders or emergency alerts. The biggest danger is that hackers might take control of important systems like traffic lights, water systems, and emergency services. Experts say that in 2026, cybersecurity will become as important as regular police safety. Cities will need real-time crime centers that use AI to watch for problems and respond quickly. These centers bring together information from many city systems so everyone can see problems at the same time. The challenge is that cybersecurity experts need to watch out for fast, AI-powered attacks that can hurt cities in just minutes.

Construction Gets AI Agents Too

Construction companies are also using AI agents to do better work. These AI agents can read building plans and spot mistakes before workers start building. They can watch construction sites with cameras and report on progress. AI agents can make construction schedules and predict which projects might be delayed. Instead of replacing workers, these AI agents do the boring paperwork so workers can focus on the actual construction. Construction companies that use AI agents well are winning more jobs, because owners and leaders want to work with companies that use smart technology.

Cities Need More Power and Computer Centers

One big problem is that AI agents and AI systems need lots of electricity. The United States and countries all over the world need new power plants and data centers to run AI. Data centers are big buildings full of computers that run AI systems. By 2030, the world will need to spend about $5.2 trillion just to build data centers for AI, and another $1.5 trillion for regular computer centers. This is a huge amount of money. Power is now the most important thing when companies choose where to build data centers, not cost or location. In North America, there are at least 16 gigawatts of data center space under construction, which is the most ever. However, some communities are angry because data centers use lots of water and electricity. Rural communities are pushing back and saying they don't want these huge buildings in their areas.

Cities Are Using Digital Twins to Plan Better

Cities are using something called digital twins to plan for the future. A digital twin is like a fake copy of a city or building in a computer. City planners can see what will happen if they build new houses or roads before they actually do it. This helps them understand how many people will live there, whether roads will have too much traffic, and how much new power and water they will need. Digital twins help planners make better decisions and save money by avoiding mistakes.

Data Governance and Responsible AI

Experts and city leaders are saying that using AI agents means cities must be responsible and fair. Cities need to have good data governance, which means they need to understand what information their AI systems use, where that information comes from, and whether it is correct. People want to know how AI agents make decisions, especially when those decisions affect their lives. Some AI systems might accidentally treat certain groups of people unfairly if they are trained on bad data. Professional organizations like city planning groups are telling cities to explain their AI systems clearly to leaders and residents. This will help people trust the AI agents that do work for their cities.