How cities can own their data and their future with sovereign AI

In this episode of the SmartCitiesWorld podcast, SmartCitiesWorld’s Luke Antoniou is joined once again by Youssef Nadiri from PNY Technologies to explore what sovereign AI really means for cities – and why it’s becoming such a critical topic for urban leaders.

Building on their earlier conversation about edge AI, this episode looks at sovereign AI foundations: how cities can develop, deploy, and govern AI systems while keeping control of their data, models, and infrastructure choices. Nadiri explains why this matters when city authorities are dealing with sensitive citizen information, video feeds, and traffic data, and how maintaining trust, transparency, and regulatory compliance is central to any AI strategy.

Nadiri also unpacks insights from a closed‑door workshop at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, where cities at very different stages of their AI journey shared their concerns and ambitions. The discussion highlights the tension between innovation and risk, and how sovereign AI can help cities move forward without handing over all control to external cloud providers.

The episode also touches on practical directions for cities: choosing between on‑prem, cloud, and hybrid/edge architectures; involving legal and governance experts from day one; and assembling small, cross‑disciplinary teams that can start experimenting with AI in a responsible way.

Finally, Nadiri sets out the economic opportunity of Sovereign AI – from supporting startups and SMEs with shared infrastructure to positioning cities as AI testbeds that attract talent and investment.

If you’re a city leader, technologist, or policymaker wondering how to embrace AI without losing control of your data, this episode offers a clear, practical starting point – and a vision of what’s possible when cities take ownership of their AI future.