Opacità algoritmica e opacità decisionale. Il problema del machine learning nell'urbanocene = Algorithmic opacity and decision opacity. The problem of machine learning in the urbanocene

Abstract

The contribution critically analyzes the interaction between smart cities and machine learning in the era of the Urbanocene, highlighting the implications of the increasing datafication of urban living. The adoption of predictive models based on artificial intelligence transforms the city into a complex and automated system characterized by algorithmic and decision-making opacity. Three fundamental issues emerge: the reduction of urban experience to observable and traceable data; the systemic vulnerability of the city heightened by interconnection and computational complexity; and the loss of transparency and accountability in urban governance, delegated to opaque algorithmic decision-making processes. Through a critical reflection inspired by Simondon and Stiegler, a conceptual distinction between smart cities and artificial intelligence is proposed, aiming to preserve the human dimension in urban management.