Artificial Intelligence, Society 5.0 and Smart City Adaptation Initiatives for Businesses: An Integrated Approach

The unprecedented migration of populations to urban areas has created major challenges for municipalities and service providers. To address these issues, decision-makers must embrace smart city and Society 5.0 paradigms, both of which focus on adaptability and sustainable development. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role by expanding service capacity, enabling automation, and processing vast data to align urban development with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper develops a multi-criteria analysis system designed to support decision-making in complex socio-technological contexts. Using cognitive mapping and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique within a neutrosophic environment, the study analyzes cause-and-effect relationships among critical factors that influence businesses’ adaptation to AI, smart cities, and Society 5.0. The results offer a holistic decision-support framework to guide policymakers, businesses, and urban planners toward inclusive, sustainable, and technologically integrated societies.