12 Oct Accepted Paper in the Journal Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy (IF 2.6; CiteScore 5.0): Generative AI and the Urban AI Policy Challenges Ahead: Trustworthy for Whom?

Accepted Paper in Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy

Title: Generative AI and the Urban AI Policy Challenges Ahead: Trustworthy for Whom?
Journal: Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy (Impact Factor: 2.6; CiteScore: 5.0)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TG-08-2025-0240
Accepted on: 12 October 2025
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

This article examines the socio-technical, economic, and governance challenges emerging at the intersection of Generative AI and Urban AI. It frames the notion of trustworthy AI not as a technical attribute but as a political and institutional achievement, shaped by public value, democratic legitimacy, and civic participation.

Drawing on comparative perspectives from public policy, innovation systems, digital governance, and urban sociology, the paper identifies the growing gap between technological capability and institutional readiness. It argues that current policy frameworks often prioritise efficiency and innovation over inclusion, accountability, and democratic oversight.

Building on Richard R. Nelson’s metaphor of “The Moon and the Ghetto”, the article interrogates how AI-driven transformations may deepen or bridge structural inequalities in urban governance. It proposes that trustworthiness in AI systems must be grounded in participatory design, anticipatory regulation, and civic engagement.

The contribution lies in setting out a conceptual and comparative framework for examining how Generative and Urban AI reshape the social contract between institutions and citizens, and how governance systems can embed pluralism, legitimacy, and justice at the core of AI policy.