FROM SMART TO COGNITIVE: ARE LEGAL INSTITUTIONS READY FOR THE EVOLUTION OF THE LEARNING CITY?

Abstract

Introduction. The intensive introduction of digital technologies into urban spaces is changing the paradigm of urbanization and requires a legal basis for its implementation. Today's stage of the scientific and technological revolution brings us closer to the new phenomenon of the "cognitive city", which involves the use of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data and machine learning not only for infrastructure management, but also for ensuring a deep understanding of community needs, short-term and long-term forecasting and adaptability. The purpose of this article is to outline the main features of the transition from a smart city to a cognitive one, analyze the legal challenges and risks of a legal nature associated with the deployment of these concepts.

Summary of the main results of the study. The digital evolution of cities has become synonymous with the term "smart city" ‒ an approach to city management that seeks to become more efficient and sustainable through the implementation of connected digital technologies. These technologies control and automate city utilities and services, exchanging information in real time with municipal administrations, service providers and city residents. “Cognitive cities” go beyond the creation of connected technological ecosystems, but also integrate advanced technologies to create intelligent and adaptive city systems. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to analyze huge amounts of data in order to personalize services for residents and ensure effective service delivery. A cognitive city is characterized by a proactive approach to solving potential problems, a kind of “game of anticipation”. The city does not wait for residents to ask for help, but anticipates such an appeal, as it analyzes the peculiarities of the functioning of districts, infrastructure, etc. For example, city authorities begin the reconstruction of a water supply system not because it is already leaking, but because its effective service life has passed and, accordingly, there is a need for modernization. All of the above aspects have significant legal implications, and many of these changes relate to digital law. But there are others that should be considered. The most obvious legal issues are those related to information and digital law. First and foremost, the issue that immediately comes to mind is the protection of information privacy. The vast amounts of data that pass through smart cities every day contain a lot of personal data: where we are physically at a given moment, our water and electricity consumption, how we use certain public infrastructure, etc. At the same time, it is worth clearly realizing that the development of a cognitive city will naturally raise other issues for jurisprudence that are not directly related to digital law. In particular, the creation of the infrastructure of cognitive cities requires and will continue to require changes to the law on public contracts (contracts). The most obvious area today is how the requirements for innovation - key for smart cities - will be included in such contracts.

Conclusions. Thus, both modern concepts of urban development ‒ "smart city" and "cognitive city" ‒ are designed to improve the well-being of city residents, ensure sustainable development and the development of a comfortable, safe environment. At the same time, they are accompanied by a number of challenges of a legal, social, economic and ethical nature, which requires legal regulation and finding a balance between information technologies and human rights. The use of "cognitive systems" makes it possible not only to be technically advanced, but also to "learn" and adapt to challenges. This creates opportunities for a qualitatively new level of management to ensure sustainable development. Comprehensive legal support for such an evolution of urban space should be based on a balance of interests between innovations, social acceptability and legal justification and protection of human rights and the interests of civil society.