UrbanOS Promises to Manages Everything Within City Limits
Omar Yusuf — October 5, 2011 — Eco
References: bbc & geekologie
SkyNet has a new name: UrbanOS, a municipal computer program that hopes to administrate all traffic, building management and host of other essential services throughout a given metropolis. While the prospect may at first seem helpful, I can't help but concentrate on the disastrous possibility of the AI gaining sentience and turning against its creators!
Living PlanIT, the computer engineering firm behind UrbanOS, explains that the program would collaborate with thousands of clandestine sensors buried, attached and suspended from key locations around the city. These gauges would report temperature, traffic congestion, humidity and pedestrian thoroughfare back to the central computer which would then make the appropriate changes. In the event of a fire, for instance, UrbanOS would reroute traffic, supply extra water to the sprinklers and shut off gas valves so that the inferno is less threatening.
Although this type of automation would doubtlessly make city life smoother and more efficient, one has to wonder about the potential for foul play by hackers or virtual intruders.
Living PlanIT, the computer engineering firm behind UrbanOS, explains that the program would collaborate with thousands of clandestine sensors buried, attached and suspended from key locations around the city. These gauges would report temperature, traffic congestion, humidity and pedestrian thoroughfare back to the central computer which would then make the appropriate changes. In the event of a fire, for instance, UrbanOS would reroute traffic, supply extra water to the sprinklers and shut off gas valves so that the inferno is less threatening.
Although this type of automation would doubtlessly make city life smoother and more efficient, one has to wonder about the potential for foul play by hackers or virtual intruders.
Trend Themes
1. Smart City Management - UrbanOS aims to streamline and automate various essential services within a city, presenting an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the smart city management industry.
2. Sensor Technology - The use of thousands of sensors to collect data and inform decision-making in real-time opens up possibilities for disruptive innovation in the sensor technology industry.
3. Artificial Intelligence - The development of UrbanOS highlights the potential for AI-driven systems to revolutionize city management, presenting an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the artificial intelligence industry.
Industry Implications
1. Smart City Infrastructure - UrbanOS could revolutionize how cities are engineered and managed, offering disruptive innovation opportunities in the smart city infrastructure industry.
2. Data Analytics - The vast amount of data collected by UrbanOS creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in the data analytics industry to extract valuable insights for decision-making.
3. Cybersecurity - The potential risks of hackers and virtual intruders targeting UrbanOS calls for disruptive innovation in the cybersecurity industry to ensure the program's integrity and protect against unauthorized access.
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