Barcelona Digital City

We present the “Municipal strategy on algorithms and data to ethically drive artificial intelligence” , the government measure laying down the mechanisms for applying artificial intelligence (AI) to municipal management and services while respecting citizens’ digital rights. Barcelona is thus joining cities such as Amsterdam, New York, Helsinki, Toronto and Seattle in the construction of a human rights-based AI and emerging technology model with a commitment to a democratic digital society.

The strategy provides for the creation of a public register that gives citizens access to all the algorithms affecting people and used by the City Council, in order to make them transparent and subject to scrutiny. It further provides for the establishment of clauses to ensure that any intelligent systems included in municipal tenders respect people’s rights. 

In addition, an international AI observatory will be established in collaboration with the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) and within the framework of the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, a participatory body for the involvement of social agents in the development of ethical AI in the City Council and Barcelona as a whole.

Municipal Strategy