BENGALURU: In a significant push towards AI-driven urban governance, researchers from the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) and the University of Toronto are collaborating to enhance infrastructure and quality of life in Bengaluru and other urban centres in India.
The institutions have proposed a public-private partnership to integrate AI into governance for better management of water resources, urban mobility, waste disposal, and climate adaptation. The initiative aims to develop solutions for Bengaluru first, with plans to replicate them across other metros like Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi.
The initiative was highlighted at the ‘AI and the City - Understanding Applications in Urban Environments’ conference, organised by IIIT-B’s Centre for Information Technology and Public Policy (CITAPP) in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s School of Cities and the University of Toronto India Foundation (UTIF). The event showcased AI’s role in urban planning, disaster management, cybersecurity, and environmental sustainability.
The conference drew participation from experts across 22 institutions spanning 11 countries, including the Geneva Graduate Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Royal Holloway University of London, and Singapore Management University.
AI for water and climate resilience
Sachit Rao, a professor at IIIT-B, demonstrated how AI-based techniques can map and monitor Bengaluru’s water bodies, track flooding using satellite data, and assist policymakers in planning flood mitigation strategies. Given Bengaluru’s recurrent flooding issues, such AI-driven insights could significantly improve urban resilience, he said, emphasising the need to replicate this model in other major Indian cities for better infrastructure planning.
Similarly, researchers at CITAPP presented AI applications for monitoring urban heat islands, using predictive modelling and local climate zone analysis. They highlighted how AI can classify land surfaces, analyze temperature patterns, and evaluate the effectiveness of green spaces in cooling urban areas.
Cybersecurity for smart cities
Roland Hass, Adjunct Professor at IIIT-B, showcased AI-driven cybersecurity solutions to protect interconnected smart city systems. He explained how technologies like Large Language Models (LLMs) can detect vulnerabilities, automate software testing, and strengthen urban digital infrastructure against cyber threats. AI-powered threat intelligence was also highlighted as a crucial tool in countering the rising frequency of cyberattacks on city networks.
Interdisciplinary approach to AI in Cities
With AI gaining momentum globally, researchers emphasise that while AI solutions take time to develop, cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange is essential to create effective, context-specific urban governance models.
Karan Singh, Associate Director at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations in tackling India’s critical urban challenges.
As part of this, the teams in Bengaluru and Toronto are now working on frameworks to sustain and scale AI-driven urban solutions.