How will AI and automation transform society and cities?

TL;DR

This paper examines how AI and automation could provoke social conflicts between elites and the emerging creative class, leading to urban transformations influenced by historical and current socio-economic dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel framework linking AI-driven social conflicts to urban change, drawing parallels with 17th-18th century European societal shifts.

Findings

AI may intensify social tensions in urban areas.

Historical conflicts offer insights into future urban transformations.

AI's societal impact could reshape city spatial and power structures.

Abstract

Against the backdrop of rising anxiety and discussions on the impact of AI on society, I explore in this article the structural possibilities of AI and automation triggering a new social conflict between the current capitalist elites and the emerging "creative class" (R&D scientists, engineers, business developers, etc.), and how this conflict can produce social tensions and transform urban space. By drawing insights from a structurally similar conflict in 17-18th century Europe between the aristocracy and the emerging bourgeoisie, the impact of this conflict on the social, spatial, and power landscapes in cities of that time, as well as current trends in urban geography, this article outlines the prospects of urban transformations under changing production and consumption economies.