Amsterdam aims to increase the liveability for its residents. We strive to achieve this goal by giving priority to investments and policies regarding development of responsible digital technologies. By doing so, we aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 95% before 2050. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of these technologies that will play a major part in achieving these goals.

How we aim to be an attractive city
We aspire to be a frontrunner in stimulating and implementing responsible AI solutions. To ensure successful AI implementations that serve our residents throughout our city, a stimulating role by the municipality of Amsterdam is demanded. The first initiatives to do so are taking off, including the AI4Cities project. We aim to provide innovative entrepreneurs an environment in which they can develop and grow. Because, in the end, a strong AI ecosystem strengthens collaboration, innovation, business and employment opportunities. Little by little, an ecosystem with multiple highly appreciated researchers, institutes, businesses and congresses is originating.

Amsterdam’s AI Agenda
The Amsterdam AI Agenda gives an overview of our ambitions and vision regarding AI, and focuses on its applications to meet our municipal goalsand exploit economic potential, while protecting privacy and digital rights  To do so, we live up to a holistic, action-oriented approach that covers activities over four major domains, each serving their own goals:

1. AI for Amsterdam’s residents: make technology functional for Amsterdam’s residents. It’s our ambition to be both the user and developer of concrete AI applications that create value for our residents. We bring user experiences and development skills together in our labs, where we apply work on new AI solutions for our city. Think of crowdedness predictions, predictions of poverty and job security and making our archives more accessible.
2. Position and stimulate Amsterdam: stimulate and develop a digital ecosystem; recruit and develop human capital. Within the field of AI we strive to bring Amsterdam and the Netherlands to new heights and become one of the leading AI cities in Europe. We do so by making Amsterdam an ‘AI hub’ that adopts digital solutions over the various domains we are concerned with. We have the goal to raise awareness, facilitate sharing of knowledge and support startups to go international.
3. Digital rights: protect digital rights and create equality of opportunity in algorithms impacting Amsterdam’s inhabitants. We want our values to be leading in developing and using algorithms. By defining what we perceive as fair, by setting ethical standards and by exploring the impact of AI on our city and our residents, we aim to develop a coherent algorithm policy that supports our values.
4. Conditions: data about the city is accessible for the city. Algorithms require lots of data. It’s our role to ensure that the data that is collected throughout the city is usable and accessible for trusted parties.

Each of these goals are closely related to one another. AI applications for Amsterdam and its residents should be aligned with our public values, and show congruence with each of the four domains. The AI4Cities project has received many promising applications. Guided by the principles from our AI agenda, we look forward to continue collaboration that can help to develop our AI-related activities.