People first, technology secondWhen Frans-Anton Vermast, Amsterdam’s internationally recognised smart city ambassador, visited Australia earlier this year, his message was clear: a truly smart city starts and ends with people. The city’s approach – small-scale pilots, co-creation with residents and a willingness to learn from failure – offers a sharp contrast to the top-down “smart city” branding campaigns that often dominate political discourse. The risks of governance gapsBut as I have often argued in my work on smart cities, technology without governance is a recipe for problems. A global blueprint for ethical innovationAs cities worldwide pursue this vision of adaptive, inclusive and ethical urban innovation, Amsterdam’s experience offers a valuable blueprint. By showing that AI can be harnessed transparently and equitably to improve daily life, Amsterdam is helping chart the path toward truly adaptive, inclusive and ethical smart cities worldwide.