Next Generation of Multi-Agent Driven Smart City Applications and Research Paradigms

Smart cities have seen a growing interest among governments, researchers, and industries. Smart cities use digital technologies to enhance the quality of life for residents while promoting sustainability and efficient resource management. By integrating various technologies such as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities can improve the delivery of public services, optimize transportation systems, reduce energy consumption, and enhance public safety, among other benefits. Smart cities focus on automating different disciplines, including smart environment, smart home, smart economy, smart mobility, and smart governance. As a result, multi-agent driven smart cities have received tremendous attention from the research community for obtaining intelligent solutions to complex problems in different disciplines by subdividing responsibilities into multiple agents and empowering agents through AI. In this regard, it is vital to explore the usage of multi-agent systems in different critical application areas of smart cities. In this paper, a detailed description of the multi-agent process for smart city application areas is provided, along with resources and future research directions. Four different application areas: smart home, smart governance, smart environment, and smart mobility are discussed in detail.