The status quo: Urban AI and the deepening of technocentrism in urban management

This paper analyzes the emergence of a latent technocentrism in urban governance in the age of urban AI. While the failures and criticisms of the smart city have highlighted the limits technocentric governance, the increasing integration of AI in cities does not mark a retreat from it, but rather its reconfiguration. By analyzing the case of Quebec, this paper shows that this regime is not based on an explicitly claimed ideology, but on a convergence of structural factors. These include the perceived benefits of AI for cities, the multi-level ecosystem dynamics, and the increasing embedding of algorithmic systems in urban management. The paper argues for a re-politicization of urban AI by strengthening participatory mechanisms (citizens' assemblies, consultations, co-design) and the internal capacities of municipalities.