Artificial intelligence is reshaping how information is produced, decisions are made, public and private systems operate, and resources are distributed. As access to not just information but also analysis expands, the bottleneck moves from generating evidence to helping leaders identify the information that is most reliable, relevant, and actionable.

For nearly six decades, the Urban Institute has evolved to help changemakers use evidence to improve systems and expand opportunity. The changes brought by AI are once again transforming our role.

Urban is adapting not only through our focus on producing evidence on how AI affects society, but also by rolling up our sleeves to help shape how these technologies are used, governed, and applied to public challenges as they are built.

Urban’s approach to AI

Urban brings a unique combination of strengths to the AI era: a deep commitment to the public good, expertise in the systems that shape people’s lives, and advanced capabilities in data, analysis, and technology.

We center human expertise and values in our work and partner directly with governments, nonprofits, and funders to translate evidence into action, build and advise on policy tools and implementations, and deliver real-world impact.

Our work focuses on three priorities:

• Help society navigate what’s ahead: We work with governments, nonprofits, and funders to understand the implications of AI and apply it responsibly across areas like housing, workforce, health, and economic mobility.
• Lead in responsible agentic AI practice: We develop and model rigorous standards for how AI systems are designed, evaluated, and used, ensuring they are accurate, transparent, and well governed and work for everyone.
• Use AI to provide top-tier evidence to all: We apply AI in our research, tools, and operations to deliver insights more quickly and at reduced cost to help reach more people and help decisionmakers act with greater speed and confidence.