Milestone Systems has launched Project Hafnia, an AI-driven city initiative that aims to improve urban management through advanced vision technology. Italy’s Genoa is the first city to implement the solution. Thus, with the help of NVIDIA and Nebius, the project combines real and synthetic video data by EU law, including the AI Act and GDPR.
According to CEO Thomas Jensen, Hafnia will establish the standard for ethical AI in smart cities worldwide. For city-scale deployments and video analytics, it is the first significant AI platform to comply with EU regulatory standards.
How Will AI-Driven City Platforms Reshape Urban Life?
Project Hafnia uses vision AI systems and high-quality video data to improve urban operations. Additionally, Milestone uses smart infrastructure to better manage city resources, enhance safety, and monitor traffic. The project’s foundation is NVIDIA’s robust technology stack, which includes the DGX Cloud for model training and the NeMo Curator.
Artificial intelligence (AI) that respects people is what this system is all about. Milestone’s video data platform guarantees complete adherence to the GDPR and AI Act. The backend is powered by Nebius, a European cloud provider that helps the project adhere to EU data regulations. Hence, in practical applications, this emphasis guarantees not only performance but also privacy and authenticity.
Digital Twins and Vision AI Power Urban Upgrades
NVIDIA’s Omniverse Blueprint for AI in smart cities was adopted early by Project Hafnia. The blueprint makes it possible to create digital twin models, which are virtual, real-time representations of urban settings. In order to create datasets that are perfect for training potent vision AI models, Milestone combines real-world inputs with synthetic data from NVIDIA Cosmos.
Transportation is the main focus of Genoa’s deployment. It has a visual language model that was trained on traffic footage and provides information for safer and more efficient travel. Additionally, data is processed and sourced responsibly, guaranteeing that each insight satisfies European standards. According to the City of Genoa, Hafnia supports Italy’s public technology objectives as outlined in the country’s digital transformation strategy.
Milestone refers to its AI-ready data platform as a “trusted librarian.” To enable scalable AI applications in various cities, the curated datasets are labeled and organized. Therefore, access is controlled through licensing to guarantee responsible AI development in both the public and private sectors.
Shaping Europe’s Future with Trusted AI-Driven City Models
The project is intended for future expansion. Using flexible digital twin technology, Milestone’s framework makes it simple for other cities to connect. Additionally, this flexibility guarantees a speedy rollout across various regions and domains, such as civic planning, law enforcement, and transportation.
The crucial role is that of Nebius. A major concern for many governments is digital sovereignty, which is ensured by hosting all data within the EU. Nebius offers the infrastructure required for AI applications that prioritize privacy and high performance. Because of its deep integration with NVIDIA, its systems provide VLMs with quick and safe training environments.
The evolution of Project Hafnia represents a shift in cities’ approaches to digital transformation. As more governments adopt smart infrastructure, urban futures can be reshaped with the help of compliant, flexible, and potent tools like Hafnia. Additionally, the platform is compatible with EU legal frameworks and values and supports scalable AI deployments. Thus, this guarantees the ethical and efficient growth of AI-driven city models throughout Europe.
Bottom Line
Milestone is creating a future where citizen rights and AI-driven urban innovations coexist with Project Hafnia. With its advanced technology and complete adherence to regulations, Hafnia provides a model for morally sound, high-performing urban AI. Cities throughout Europe, from Genoa to the rest, can now implement safer, smarter systems driven by digital twin frameworks and vision AI. As a result, Hafnia lights the path for the future of smart cities.
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