THE FUTURE OF AI
through everything from drone-based power line inspections to intelligent inventory management.
Meanwhile in southern France, the Société du Canal de Provence uses Azure technologies to monitor its 6,000-kilometre water network, combining IoT sensors with meteorological data to provide farmers with adaptive irrigation advice and strengthen drought preparedness.
IBM: Targeting urban heat with AI-powered resilience IBM has selected C40 Cities – a network representing nearly 100 mayors worldwide – for a two-year collaboration developing AI solutions that help smart cities manage what’ s becoming an existential threat: extreme heat.
The partnership tackles the cascading effects of urban heat islands, from stressed energy grids and rising mortality rates to deepening socioeconomic disparities that hit vulnerable communities hardest.
“ Cities are on the frontline of an extreme heat crisis,” says Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities.
“ Through this collaboration with IBM’ s Sustainability Accelerator, we have a groundbreaking opportunity to harness AI-driven solutions to help cities analyse risks, strengthen resilience and protect their most vulnerable communities.”
IBM is putting up to US $ 3m in technology and services on the table through its Sustainability Accelerator programme, which applies hybrid cloud and AI to initiatives from nonprofits and government organisations.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is a C40 City
130 February 2026