Introduction

This introduction positions artificial intelligence (AI) in contemporary urban contexts with a focus on language, which provides a pivotal connection between AI and cities. It contrasts linguistic approaches with the tenets of cybernetics and touches on the historical and theoretical foundations of these perspectives, arguing for an emphasis on language as an entry point to understanding urban AI (UAI). The author uses his trajectory through such developments to underline this “linguistic turn” which draws on narrative, meaning and interpretation, setting the stage for a language-based exploration of AI’s interactions with urban life.