Cities Integrating AI Into Public Services With No Common Framework for Assessing Readiness, Oxford Insights Finds

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Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by Business Wire Cities Integrating AI Into Public Services With No Common Framework for Assessing Readiness, Oxford Insights FindsAuthor of the article:Cover of Oxford Insights' latest report on City AI Readiness. Business WireOrganisation behind the Government AI Readiness Index proposes a City AI Readiness Index, based on a new study of Abu DhabiTHIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountLONDON — Cities are integrating artificial intelligence into public services and operations with no shared framework for measuring or comparing how prepared they are to do so safely, effectively or accountably.Existing global indices compare countries on legislation, investment and research output, but the AI efforts happening at city level – the level of government where the technology most directly shapes daily life – are not systematically captured.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.To start closing that gap, Oxford Insights researchers studied AI readiness across six cities. They found that all share the same core priorities, from governance and funding to talent and infrastructure, but take distinct routes to AI readiness, shaped both by structural conditions and by deliberate strategic choices.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe findings draw on an in-depth study of Abu Dhabi, where researchers were able to observe city-level AI readiness being actively built rather than planned.The UAE capital was considered alongside five further international cities: Seoul, London, Montreal, Helsinki and Tallinn.A report published today sets out the foundation for a proposed City AI Readiness Index, giving city governments a comparable reference point to that which national governments have used since 2017 – and giving citizens and residents a clearer picture of how prepared their city is.“Cities are where most people deal with government, yet there has been no shared way to judge how ready they are for AI,” said Richard Stirling, CEO of Oxford Insights. “Our framework will give city leaders that information, and Abu Dhabi was the right place to test it. It has assembled every layer of the AI stack, from compute and energy through models and capital to government as a large-scale user. Applying the framework to other cities then shows the different routes they are taking and what each one relies on.”City AI Readiness: A Deep Dive into Abu Dhabi and the Global Landscape was produced in collaboration with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and Khalifa University.It finds no single model of AI readiness and identifies areas requiring continued attention as deployment scales, including compute and energy requirements, talent, governance and resilience.Researchers used a six-pillar framework for understanding AI readiness and identified four city archetypes that can help leaders assess strengths, gaps and priorities for future development.They are infrastructure-led “Platform Cities”, research-driven “Cognitive Cities”, service-focused “Delivery Cities” and “Strategic Cities”, where AI sits at the centre of government and economic planning.Abu Dhabi was identified alongside Seoul as a Strategic City.In January 2025, it launched a three-year strategy to transform into the world’s first AI-native government.TAMM, its agentic AI-powered public services platform used by 4.7 million, now resolves 96 per cent of enquiries autonomously through AI.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Oxford Insights plans to pilot the index across 15 to 20 cities.Since 2017, Oxford Insights has produced the Government AI Readiness Index — the first global AI index focused specifically on the role of government. Used by countries around the world as a benchmark, the Index features in multiple national AI strategies and informs policy making at the highest levels. Oxford Insights is a research and advisory firm specialising in government AI readiness and digital transformation.Report title: City AI Readiness: A Deep Dive into Abu Dhabi and the Global LandscapeFull report available at: https://oxfordinsights.com/city-ai-readiness-ad/Publication date: 6 October 2026View source version on businesswire.com: This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.