“No matter how much rhetoric about progress and benefits to society is deployed in the promotion of [the Smart City] concept, it has the potential to develop into a dystopic future. Prison cities, which instead of guards, use cameras and microphones, hooked to AI algorithms counting social credit scores; characterised by geofencing – limits on movement and/or area where a person can buy products and services, possibly loss of bodily autonomy.” – Wikispooks
Since 25 August, Wikispooks has been the victim of a DNS attack and their website is inaccessible for most. We are sharing some of their articles until their website is, once again, accessible to all. To avoid complications with sharing our article we have not included the many embedded links on the Wikispooks page, some of which may be links to other pages within their website. However, we have attached a pdf copy of their page which includes those links. Please bear in mind that their pages are edited and updated from time to time.
A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in return, that data is used to improve operations across the city. [1][2]
Concerns
No matter how much rhetoric about progress and benefits to society is deployed in the promotion of this concept, it has the potential to develop into a dystopic future. Prison cities, which instead of guards, use cameras and microphones, hooked to AI algorithms counting social credit scores; characterised by geofencing – limits on movement and/or area where a person can buy products and services, possibly loss of bodily autonomy (i.e., a say in your own health decisions).
Geofencing
The 15/20-minute neighbourhood as a concept has all necessary amenities supposed to be within 15/20 travel: hospitals, schools, work, shops, etc. – The problem is an inhabitant cannot move/interact with the infrastructure beyond that 15/20 min radius. The doors would not open, machines will not give out food. It is to stop too much travelling and lowering carbon footprint to help fight with climate change.
Facial recognition
The microphones and cameras are to record inhabitants for the purposes of control and social credit score. Allegedly to improve services and safety. Will enable points being awarded and fines for things like walking on a red light, etc.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is closely connected to the concept of the smart city, with which a high number of jobs will be cut due to robotisation.
Several “stakeholders” have pronounced to the WEF how they envisaged a Great Reset[6]:
- Microsoft’s Brad Smith stated, “As people return to work, we can continue to expect digital technology and data to fundamentally be the infrastructure for this decade and for the Great Reset.” He further stated that (an unspecified) ‘we’ need to sustain people’s (‘their’) trust. “This means protecting their privacy, their security, and ensuring that new technologies, especially artificial intelligence are deployed responsibly around the world.”
- Kristalina Georgieva from the IMF stated that “The digital economy is the big winner of this crisis,” and suggested “public and private investments for low-carbon industries, bizarrely stating – this from the institution that has done most to deepen world inequality -that she wants a “fairer” society.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, “We build must equal, inclusive, sustainable societies, that are more resilient in the face of pandemics and climate change”.
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