Interview with Dalius Kazlauskas of WAICF
The World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival takes place in that city from 13 to 15 February. Keynote speaker Dalius Kazlauskas, CTO of the city of Vilnius, shares his perspective on how AI technology is being employed for the benefit of the Lithuanian capital – and beyond.
Good day, Mr Dalius! Thank you for taking the time to join us today. In your WAICF keynote talk, you emphasize practical AI applications in cities. Can you share specific examples from Vilnius where AI has already made a tangible impact on citizens’ daily lives?
In my talk, I focus not on future technologies, but on driving change within corporate-level organizations. It’s not just about technological solutions; we must also help people within organizations adapt. For example, we started by measuring AI maturity levels and providing training, ensuring that employees understand the broader benefits of these technologies. We paid special attention to non-technical teams, and it’s encouraging that maturity assessments showed that 70 per cent of employees have already started using AI. This gives me confidence that AI adoption will benefit everyone and face little resistance.
AI is just one part of a broader innovation approach in Vilnius. Our focus is on solving real city challenges with the right tools, not just technology for the sake of it. Platforms that monitor snow removal, track invasive plants, and manage municipal waste are already improving urban services. However, effective city management isn’t always about AI; sometimes, simply engaging communities or improving processes can be more impactful and cost-effective. The biggest shift now is data-driven decision-making, with AI helping predict urban needs, while investing in AI training ensures that city employees can use these insights effectively.
As the Chief Technological Officer, how does your vision for Vilnius’ AI-driven services align with broader European smart city initiatives in 2025?
Vilnius is not just applying AI; we’re shaping how it’s used responsibly. Data-driven predictions are transforming urban management, while transparency and openness remain our priority. As one of the first European cities to offer open data, real products, and public dashboards (open.vilnius.lt), we ensure that AI solutions bring clear benefits to citizens. We actively contribute to national AI initiatives, helping regulators understand real-world challenges. By aligning with the EU AI Act, we balance ethical AI use, sustainability, and public trust, positioning Vilnius as a leader in democratic and smart governance.
You’ve highlighted AI tools like “Fix My City” and an AI chatbot. How are these solutions enhancing public engagement and accessibility for, let’s say, seniors?
We take pride in being a very clean city, but these data-driven insights will help us optimize resources and reduce costs for city maintenance, making urban management more efficient without compromising cleanliness.
Fix My City (tvarkaumiesta.lt), like many of our projects, does not use AI within the tool itself but in data analysis. Currently, we combine data from waste collection companies, drone scans of city containers, and citizen reports. In the future, AI will help us better predict waste collection routes and optimize logistics, ensuring more efficient and responsive municipal services. We take pride in being a very clean city, but these data-driven insights will help us optimize resources and reduce costs for city maintenance, making urban management more efficient without compromising cleanliness.
The platform was designed to be as non-bureaucratic and easy to use as possible, making it accessible for seniors and those unfamiliar with technology. After extensive testing, the AI chatbot will soon be available to a wider audience in the city. This will allow seniors and those who prefer to avoid bureaucratic documents to access clear and simple information about the services that matter to them.
You made a post recently about the reuse of AI-driven pollution data. Can you tell us more about this initiative?
Previously, we focused heavily on data-driven products, but they were mostly designed for professionals. Now, we are expanding their reach to residents, healthcare providers, and educational institutions. By leveraging data processing and AI, we aim to provide deeper insights, for example analyzing how changes in road signs impact pollution levels.
Electric vehicles have also been on the rise in Europe. How have you been using AI to enhance e-charging infrastructure and promote sustainable transportation?
As the Green Capital of 2025, Vilnius has a strong commitment to reducing CO2 emissions across multiple sectors. We have an ambitious plan for expanding EV infrastructure, driven by both municipal initiatives and private investments. To ensure smart expansion, we are introducing an open competition system, allowing private investors to propose charging station locations. Later, by integrating business growth trends, population data, and AI-driven analysis, we will identify the most effective locations for new charging points, ensuring that infrastructure grows in line with real demand.
Aside from those, can you share examples of how AI has helped improve efficiency in municipal services, such as waste management, permit processing, or education?
The biggest transformation is likely not in the creation of new solutions but in how employees within organizations experience positive change and learn to apply AI tools in their work. For example, even a non-technical employee can now gain data analytics skills and quickly integrate them into decision-making.
By integrating business growth trends, population data, and AI-driven analysis, we will identify the most effective locations for new charging points, ensuring that infrastructure grows in line with real demand.
When it comes to solutions, our teams are working on projects like traffic flow management, using anonymized telecommunications data and drone-collected information. AI helps process and analyze drone images, allowing us to identify where illegal waste is being dumped or which areas of the city are not properly cleaned by service providers, such as inefficient snow removal.
Your team is also currently developing a new security and communication app for Vilnius. How would you like it to improve public safety? In what ways are you balancing security with data privacy?
Due to climate change, wildfires, and heat waves, every city must leverage modern technologies for communication with residents. However, we plan to go beyond just providing information; we aim to use gamification to educate and train people on how to respond to emergency situations effectively.
In line with that, how does your company ensure ethical AI use and maintain public trust in these relatively novel technologies?
It is important to talk not only about AI but also about how the public sector should communicate with residents and engage different groups, from gathering opinions for product improvement to fostering accountability through participation in various initiatives, such as those related to cyber resilience. We engage citizens, including seniors and tech experts, in testing and feedback loops to prevent bias and ensure accessibility.
Are there any lessons from Vilnius’ AI initiatives that could be applied to other European cities looking to enhance their smart city strategies, not just in Lithuania?
Vilnius’ approach to technology and data-driven solutions can be useful for other European cities. We focus on people first, making technology accessible to everyone, including seniors. Data helps us act, not just react. Fix My City is a great example of how we reduce bureaucracy and engage residents, and we’ve even shared it with other cities to help them improve their services. We build scalable, open solutions, so other cities don’t have to start from scratch. Balancing innovation with regulation is key.
As a speaker at WAICF, what role do you see events like this playing in fostering AI collaboration?
Events like WAICF are crucial for AI collaboration but, for me, it’s also about sharing how real change happens, not just through innovation but through organizations’ ability to adapt and use technology effectively. The real challenge isn’t AI itself, but how people within organizations embrace and apply it.
How do you think such events can help cities like Vilnius accelerate their AI-driven transformations even further?
These events help cities like Vilnius accelerate AI-driven transformation by providing access to the latest technologies, global expertise, and funding opportunities. They also spark discussions on ethical AI, governance, and public engagement, which are key to making AI work for citizens in a meaningful way.
