Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Human Experience in Smart Cities: Societal Implications and Anthropological Perspectives on Adolescents

AbstractArtificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare systems, educational institutions, and smart city infrastructures, reshaping how social life is organized, evaluated, and governed. While AI-based solutions are often promoted for their efficiency and predictive capacity, their broader societal and cultural implications remain insufficiently examined. This paper adopts a multidisciplinary and anthropological perspective to analyze AI as a socio-technical system embedded in everyday institutional practices. Focusing on smart city contexts, the study explores how algorithmic governance influences human experience across healthcare, education, and urban services, with particular attention to adolescents as a socially and ethically sensitive group. Adolescents are increasingly exposed to AI-mediated environments that shape learning, identity formation, and access to opportunities, while simultaneously raising concerns related to surveillance, consent, and inequality. Drawing on recent research in anthropology, digital governance, and AI ethics, the paper develops a conceptual framework for evaluating AI-driven systems beyond technical performance alone. It proposes the notion of Anthropologically Informed Artificial Intelligence as a practical orientation for design and governance, emphasizing cultural context, social responsibility, and human well-being. The paper contributes to multidisciplinary debates on responsible AI by offering guidance relevant to policymakers, educators, healthcare professionals, and urban decision-makersKeywords: Artificial Intelligence; Smart Cities; Adolescents; Algorithmic Governance; Anthropology; Digital Society