The concepts of 15-minute cities, C40 cities, smart cities, freedom cities, network states, and even the Civium project represent diverse visions for societal organization. Each promises to address modern challenges espoused by the likes of the UN, WEF, central banks and mega corporations, such as sustainability, governance, convenience, quality of life etc. However, their reliance on advanced technologies—particularly artificial intelligence (AI)—raises critical questions about their potential to enable mass surveillance and accelerate the path toward a technological singularity, a hypothetical future where AI surpasses human intelligence, fundamentally reshaping society. This article explores how these community living models could contribute to these outcomes, their interconnections, and the risks they pose in a rapidly digitizing world.
