Ethical AI Framework for Autonomous Decision-Making in Smart Cities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a key enabler of smart city development through autonomous decision-making in domains such as traffic management, energy distribution, and public safety. However, ethical challenges-including algorithmic bias, inadequate transparency, and risks to data privacy-continue to limit large-scale adoption. This study propose a multi-layered ethical AI framework that incorporates fairness, accountability, transparency, and sustainability into smart city governance. Comparative case studies across Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Africa were conducted to measure the adoption levels of ethical AI frameworks. Finding reveal significant regional differences, With Europe demonstrating the highest adoption rate (72%) and Africa the lowest (40%). The proposed framework emphasizes participatory governance, algorithmic explainability, and adaptive regulatory mechanisms, aiming to support policymakers, urban planners, and AI practitioners in implementing responsible AI systems for future smart cities.