The role of artificial intelligence in smart city systems usage : drivers, barriers, and behavioural outcomes

Ferreira, Pedro (author), De Matos, Celso Augusto (author), Groznik, Aleš (author)

Smart city and smart home systems are among the most impactful technological advancements of recent years, offering innovative solutions while also presenting new challenges for businesses and society. This study aims to investigate the antecedents (both drivers and barriers) of smart city system adoption, specifically those that incorporate artificial intelligence, and to analyse their effects on behavioral outcomes—more specifically, well-being and individual impact. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling with data from a survey of 211 individuals in Portugal. The main findings indicate that ubiquity and gamification were the most influential drivers of smart city system adoption. Conversely, perceived risks associated with these systems hindered their adoption. Additionally, our study demonstrated that trust significantly interacts with empowerment, perceived risk, and usage intention. Finally, usage intention was found to have a positive impact on well-being and individual outcomes in daily life.

• Language: English
• Keywords: smart cities, artificial intelligence, gamification, sustainable development, smart city systems, usage intention, behavioural outcomes
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 81, article no. ǂ102867
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-176925
• UDC: 004.8
• ISSN on article: 0160-791X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102867
• COBISS.SI-ID: 228262403
• Publication date in RUL: 15.12.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Technology in society
• Shortened title: Technol. soc.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0160-791X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 26504192

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: pametna mesta, umetna inteligenca, igrifikacija, trajnostni razvoj

Projects

• Funder: FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.
• Project number: UIDB/00097/2020
• Name: Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico
• Acronym: CEG-IST