Today, artificial intelligence is no longer just an element of futuristic projects – it is entering the lives of cities, changing the way decisions are made, infrastructure is maintained, and citizens interact. Ukrainian cities are already becoming “laboratories” for AI experiments. Let’s look at some real-life cases and promising strategies in today’s article.

AI strategies being implemented in Ukrainian cities

Today, artificial intelligence is no longer just an element of futuristic projects—it is entering the lives of cities, changing the way decisions are made, infrastructure is maintained, and citizens interact. Ukrainian cities are already becoming “laboratories” for AI experiments. Let’s look at some real-life cases and promising strategies in today’s article.

Mykolaiv and Vinnytsia: smart roads with GLOCAL-EYEZ

Mykolaiv became the first city in Ukraine to introduce an AI-based road monitoring system.

The GLOCAL-EYEZ system is installed on municipal transport and records the following in real time:

• Vibrations during movement
• Automatic images of the road surface
• Analysis of cracks, potholes, and road defects

The data is sent to an analytical system, where AI processes it and generates a map of defects ranked by repair priority. This approach allows for a quick response to new damage, optimization of the repair budget, and minimization of the time when roads are in poor condition.

This case can be considered the beginning of intelligent road infrastructure management at the city level – and an example of how AI can help not only with digital or “cloud” tasks, but also directly influence physical space. This technology is also used in Vinnytsia.

Odessa: AI in medicine and the public sector

Odessa is another city where AI is penetrating various spheres. Here are a few areas that are already being actively promoted:

• BrainScan is a pilot telemedicine project that analyzes CT scans of the brain using AI. Odessa became the first city in Ukraine to apply this tool in real life. The neural network is used in conjunction with an experienced specialist.
• Odesa AI Forum / initiatives in education and the public sector – the city is preparing to implement several new AI programs, including the development of AI skills, improving the AI literacy of officials, and creating AI-supported tools for civil servants.

These steps show that Odesa is not limiting itself to narrow projects, as the city is focused on the systematic inclusion of AI in public services, health, education, and management.

Other cities: diagnostics, analytics, smart city

Although there are fewer examples, here are some interesting areas that are already emerging or being tested:

• Kramatorsk is a city where AI has also begun to be used for medical diagnostics as part of the BrainScan project.
• The UADamage project: the NeuroMarket team has created a system that analyzes damage to urban infrastructure (the consequences of shelling and destruction) using AI and visualizes it on a map.
• Location of AI companies – according to government data, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro stand out among Ukrainian cities in terms of the number of AI companies.

State infrastructure: AI Factory as the backbone of the future

To strengthen local initiatives, a national infrastructure is needed. The AI Factory project plays a major role here – it is the first large-scale infrastructure in Ukraine focused on supporting state AI services.

What is AI Factory

AI Factory is:

• Computing clusters (GPUs, servers, storage) + technological hardware
• Software environment: platforms for model training, integration with state registries, and interfaces for data preparation
• Data: annotation tools, access to internal registries
• Expertise: training programs, teams that will develop AI solutions for the state

The main goal is to ensure that requests to state AI services are processed quickly and securely so that data does not leave Ukraine. Key state services that will be transferred or integrated into AI Factory: AI assistant for Diia, AI tutor for the Mriya system, tools for medicine, science, and defense.

Challenges and success factors

To ensure that AI strategies in cities are not just “showcase projects” but real transformations, the following should be taken into account:

1. Data and access to it. Without access to quality data from municipal systems, medicine, and infrastructure, AI models will not work correctly.
2. System compatibility and integration. Different systems (transport, housing and utilities, medicine, and monitoring) must be able to interact easily.
3. Ensuring confidentiality and security. Especially in public services, citizens’ data must be protected.
4. Local personnel and expertise. Cities need to train engineers, analysts, and AI developers to support and scale solutions.
5. Funding and sustainability. AI projects require not only initial implementation but also regular support – updates, maintenance, and modernization.
6. Public perception and transparency. It is important to explain to people how their data is used and what benefits residents receive – this builds trust.

Conclusion

Ukrainian cities have already moved on to actively testing AI strategies, from roads in Mykolaiv to medical and educational projects in Odesa. But the real turning point will be the success of projects at the national level, such as AI Factory, and the stable mutual integration of local initiatives into the national infrastructure.

Sources:

1. Suspilne Mykolaiv – Mykolaiv became the first city in Ukraine to implement a road condition monitoring project
2. Bolgradska OTG – Odesa AI Forum: AI in the public sector and education
3. Kramatorsk Post – Kramatorsk became the second city in Ukraine to use artificial intelligence for medical diagnostics
4. AIN.UA – Ukrainians taught a neural network to analyze damage to cities
5. Digital State – Ukraine is building a national infrastructure for AI: work on AI Factory begins