Artificial intelligence redefines the urban mobility
In our cities, the concept of mobility is changing. It's not just a matter of vehicles that move, but of an interconnected system where data, algorithms, and intelligent infrastructure work together to make the movement more safe, efficient and sustainable.
Artificial intelligence is the quiet engine of this revolution. An engine that is transforming not only how we move, but how we conceive of the urban space itself. From the traffic light that adapts to real-time traffic to the vehicle that you are driving alone, the AI is redefining the rules of the game of the mobility.
How to work smart cities smart
In 2025, the Italian market of smart cities has reached 1.05 billion euros, with a growth of 5% compared to the previous year. According to theObservatory Smart City of the Politecnico di Milanothe main areas of investment are the public lighting (€240 million) and smart mobility (eur 215 million).
In Singapore, the artificial intelligence adjusts traffic lights in real-time to reduce the traffic. In Barcelona, sensors, and digital platforms to coordinate the public transport, car parks, and environmental management. Milan, with the project “Sharing Cities”, experimenting with solutions for sustainable mobility by integrating AI and data in urban areas.
These are not visions for the future: they are concrete examples of smart cities that use AI to improve daily life. In Brescia, by 2024, there is the creation of a digital twin of the city with an investment of one million euros, which allow you to observe traffic, green areas, and map areas to climate risk. As we have seen in our article on the floating cities and AIthe urban planning of the future must respond to climate change with innovation.
Here, the mobility is not only a logistical issue, but a question of justice, urban sustainability, and inclusion.
Artificial intelligence transforms the autonomous guide
The autonomous guide is one of the most visible of AI in mobility. The autonomous vehicles collect and process a huge amount of data from environmental sensors to road signs – to make decisions in real time, without human intervention.
According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), there are six levels of autonomy, ranging from 0 (no automation) to 5 (full automation). Currently, most of the progress focuses on the level 3, and level 5 – fully standalone – it remains a goal which is at least a decade.
Tesla, Waymo, and numerous startups european are testing and refining these systems. Hyundai Motor Group has launched NUMA (Next Urban Mobility Alliance), a public-private initiative that combines artificial intelligence, autonomous guided and mobility solutions inclusive smart cities. As discussed in our article on the weddings algorithmic, the AI is deciding on our choices in the most personal of our life.
But it's not only the technology: there is a question of trust, responsibility and safety that directly involves our city, our data and our freedom of movement.
Concrete examples of smart mobility
Bologna has launched in 2023, the project “MaaS4Italy”, a platform of Mobility-as-a-Service that allows citizens to plan, book and pay for any travel urban from a single app. The project involves Trenitalia, TTO and other professionals, representing a decisive step towards an integrated mobility.
Milan has extended significantly the fleet of electric buses ATM between 2023 and 2025, with the aim of a public transport completely to zero emissions by 2030. In addition to new vehicles, have been created dedicated infrastructure such as the deposit of San Donato fully electrified.
Volkswagen at the IAA Mobility 2025 Munich, has presented world premieres, ranging from electric vehicles and hybrid drive systems, autonomous AI-supported. The declared objective is to make the best in automotive technologies that are accessible to all in the short term.
In the United States, companies such as Waymo and Baidu have launched services robotaxi in select cities, while in Europe the legislation is making significant progress, even if member states should still have to adapt their laws to the EU directives. As discussed in our article on AI and 6Gthe connectivity of the future will be critical to these developments.
Opportunities and risks of mobility algorithmic
A mobility algorithmic well-designed, can reduce accidents, reduce emissions, optimize the movement. According to the national market of connected cars, in 2023 it has reached a value of eur 2.9 billion, with 31% of the trials, the future focused on autonomous guide.
But the AI can also strengthen surveillance systems, discriminate in access templates, and concentrate control in the hands of a few. What data is being collected as we move? Who decides the priority in the traffic systems and smart? And who has a say in the decisions the algorithms that govern the daily mobility?
The ethical questions are intertwined with those techniques. As highlighted in our study about the surveillance predictivethe ability of AI to predict the behaviour raises fundamental questions about privacy and social control.
The risk of discrimination in algorithmic concrete: the algorithms may favour some urban areas than others, creating new forms of inequality in mobility. As we analyzed in our article on the algorithmic bias, discrimination, invisible can be perpetuated through intelligent systems.
Key points to remember
- The Italian market for smart cities is worth 1.05 billion euros in 2025 with smart mobility to 20% of the total investment
- The autonomous guide requires smart infrastructures as intelligent roads and communication systems, vehicle-to-infrastructure
- MaaS integrates all the transport in a single platform allowing for planning, booking and payment unified
- The ethical risks include surveillance and discrimination requiring regulations transparent and participatory
Frequently asked questions
When we really drive fully autonomous? Level 5 full automation is considered to be a decade or more, because of the need of smart infrastructures, appropriate regulations and social acceptance.
What it means to Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)? It is a concept that integrates all public and private transport in a single platform, allowing you to plan, book and pay for multimodal travels through a single app.
Smart cities are really more secure? Algorithms, AI can improve safety through intelligent traffic management and accident prevention, but they also create new risks related to cybersecurity and surveillance.
How is the protection of the privacy in smart mobility? Currently, Europe is developing specific standards, but is a need for more transparency about what data is being collected and how they are used by the algorithms of mobility.
Towards a mobility ethical and inclusive
The European Union is trying to meet with the regulatory proposals on the use of AI in transportation. The challenge is to build systems that are transparent, participatory, and robust. Need an artificial intelligence ethics that does not reduce the mobility as a matter of efficiency, but consider it as a right and a public good.
For this reason, local initiatives, such as monitoring civic algorithms or projects open data for urban become crucial tools to balance the decision-making power. As pointed out in our article onethics of artificial intelligence, we need an approach that put humanity at the centre of technological development.
Artificial intelligence is creating new maps of the human movement. If we want these maps to be inclusive and fair, we need to actively participate in their design. The mobility of the future is not only a trip more comfortable, it is a new way of living in the world, where technology and humanity must find the right balance.