What 10 American cities will look like in 2050, predicted by AI
According to , the future is bright. DailyMail.com asked the image-generator Midjourney to imagine what 10 American cities will look like in 2050 using prompts from leading experts in 'smart city' developments. The prompts focused on how overcrowding, and technological development are likely to change the cities of the future. The amazing results show many of the concrete jungles adorned with lush vegetation sprouting from sci-fi-looking hi-rises that winged vehicles soar around in bright blue skies. By 2050, almost three-quarters of the world population (68 percent) will live in cities, according to a UN prediction. While it might sound bleak, technology could turn congested regions into lush utopias. The cities of the future will use technology to improve quality of life, efficiency and sustainability, said Chris Dymond, Director of the International Smart Cities Management Program at Zigurat Global Institute of Technology in Barcelona. Dymond said that travel will be unrecognizable from today's polluted streets - as hybrid working and autonomous driving reshape the roads. He said, 'People will likely travel less, as remote working and telepresence become ever more sophisticated and latency-free. 'When they do travel they will have many more modes of transport to choose from, including being driven or flown autonomously and on-demand. Dymond believes that buildings will also be reshaped to become more energy efficient, with every opportunity taken to recover wasted energy. Cities will also be greener, with vegetables and fruit grown locally, Dymond said. Dymond said, 'Our communities will be radically more efficient and sustainable, and hopefully more healthy as well.' He believes that artificial intelligence will play a role in managing these future cities. 'Digital twin' technology will allow city dwellers to see the effect decisions have on traffic, air quality and safety as it happens. Dymond said, 'Perhaps the biggest change will be accessible digital twins, that can show everyone what's really going on in their cities, and what the effect of every decision is likely to be.' 'Whether they will be better places to live depends on how citizens are engaged in decision-making along the way, and whether AI and a multitude of other technological developments make it easier for this to happen.' Artificial intelligence will be key to managing future cities, agrees Wendy Shearer, Smart Cities Director, Pulsant. Shearer believes that future mayors will have deputies who are powerful artificial intelligence. She said, 'In the smart city of 2050, an AI City Manager will report directly to the local Mayor. 'While the Mayor will have final authority over policy and political decisions, data-driven insights will be so finely integrated into the workings of the city that the role of AI City Manager will have been established to standardize and develop the urban environment.' 'Any smart city leader would be responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the complex technologies required to deliver on the city's vision as well as making the most of the data generated by the smart city itself,' Shearer said.