Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Urban Security Management: Legal and Jurisprudential Challenges in Iranian Municipalities

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Nushabad, Aran va Bidgol, Isfahan, Iran

2 Kashan, Isfahan, Iran

10.5281/zenodo.21820803
Abstract
In 2026, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Urban Security Management in Iran has emerged as a strategic and transformative technology, playing a pivotal role in enhancing cyber surveillance, threat prediction, critical infrastructure protection, and urban resilience. This trend, embedded within the National Artificial Intelligence Document of the Islamic Republic of Iran (approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly in 2025/1404) and the agendas of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, is observable in major municipalities such as Tehran (through intelligent systems for detecting violations of hijab regulations and traffic monitoring) and smaller cities like Nushabad (focusing on safeguarding cultural heritage and the underground city of Ouyi against cyber and physical threats). However, this integration has engendered profound legal and jurisprudential challenges, primarily stemming from tensions between the security efficacy of AI and fundamental principles of civil rights and Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah. Recent jurisprudential scholarship (e.g., 2025-2026 analyses of AI ethics in Imami jurisprudence) emphasizes that AI must not become an instrument for violating individual rights; rather, it should be subject to oversight by religious scholars and jurisprudential-legal committees to ensure conformity with Islamic values (such as the principles of lā ḍarar wa lā ḍirār). In this context, proposed models, such as integrating Maqāṣid into the NIST RMF or adopting Islamic ethical frameworks (as implemented in Islamic countries like the UAE and Malaysia), may offer viable pathways. The paper concludes by recommending that Iranian municipalities adopt a hybrid governance approach integrating global technical standards with jurisprudential principles to mitigate AI risks and progress toward sustainable and ethical development. This research is valuable for policymakers, urban security managers, jurists, and legal scholars, and may serve as a foundation for future articles in ISI/Scopus journals on AI Ethics, Islamic Jurisprudence, and Urban Governance.

Graphical Abstract

Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Urban Security Management: Legal and Jurisprudential Challenges in Iranian Municipalities

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