The nature of AI: Metabolism, energy, water, labour and justice in the urban political ecology of artificial intelligence

Abstract

The integration of vast volumes of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology into the built environment is chan- ging the metabolism of urban spaces. Due to the presence of various AIs in urban systems, there are now more agentic forces influencing the trajectory of urban development and entangling with pre-existing bio- logical intelligences. Because of AI's substantial environmental costs, more resources are now needed to satisfy cities' technological appetite. Urban futures are also becoming more uncertain as private AI com- panies gain considerable power in urban governance through oligarchic schemes that leave citizens with no voice. In this paper, we bridge Urban Political Ecology (UPE) and urban AI literature, in order to crit- ically examine the nature of AI as it intertwines with urban living and urban infrastructure. More specific- ally, we offer a threefold contribution to knowledge. First, we examine how the advent of urban AI is altering urban metabolism, zooming in on specific socio-environmental issues pertaining to energy, water and labour. Second, we discuss how the urban metabolisms altered by AI are reproducing uneven dynamics of development that are ultimately leading to different forms of injustice. Third and finally, we propose a potential course of action to politicize urban AI and intervene on its evolution

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Irish Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, and the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades – Agencia Estatal de Investigación and Fondo Social Europeo Plus (grant number IRCLA/2022/3832, EP/Y036530/1, MR/V021672/2, RYC2023-043382-I)