Residents weigh in on government AI use, data center energy concerns

By Zoe Roth

As AI capabilities expand across government and public-sector use cases, smart city initiatives are shifting from basic data-collection platforms toward more actionable and increasingly autonomous operations. At the same time, public sentiment remains cautious. Residents responding to our Endpoints & IoT, Smart Spaces 2026 survey express hesitancy about cities' use of AI but tend to support practical smart city applications such as free public Wi-Fi, smart street lighting and environmental sensors that clearly improve quality of life. As AI transforms the private sector through automation and optimization, its entry into the public sector raises both opportunities and concerns, requiring cities to balance efficiency gains with trust, transparency and civic value.