On March 2nd at 9:07 AM, a small pile of garbage appeared on the sidewalk of Lingfeng South Road in Hezhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. By 9:08 AM, a municipal high-definition camera 50 meters away had automatically captured the scene, with the system taking a screenshot, registering the case, and generating a work order. At 9:09 AM, the Hezhou City Urban Operations Management Service Platform command center received the alert, and after verification by an operator, the task was dispatched to the handling department. By 9:44 AM, the road surface was restored to cleanliness. Subsequently, photos of the on-site resolution were sent back to the system, and the work order was closed. The entire process, from discovery to resolution, took only 37 minutes, efficiently resolving the issue without any complaint calls or reports from citizens.

This is a vivid example of artificial intelligence participating in Hezhou's city management and a snapshot of how the city is using AI technology to empower urban governance. In 2017, Hezhou initiated the construction of a digital platform, at which time the built-up area of the main urban district was 30 square kilometers. Today, the main urban area has expanded to 60.16 square kilometers. As the city grew, so did its challenges: who manages remote sections of road? Who monitors during night hours? How are flash floods detected immediately?

Previously, Hezhou's urban governance heavily relied on traditional manual methods: law enforcement officers inspected the city's appearance on foot or by patrol car, municipal workers checked facilities based on experience, and information collectors shuttled through streets and alleys. This model was not only costly in terms of manpower but also struggled to achieve round-the-clock, comprehensive supervision. Remote areas and nighttime hours often became blind spots, and some emergent issues could not be detected promptly.

In recent years, the Hezhou City Urban Management Bureau has continuously expanded the platform's functions, accelerated the construction of the Urban Operations Management Service Platform, and established a dual-driven inspection system combining "human patrols + technical patrols." Through technological upgrades, the bureau has empowered urban governance, shifting it from a "reactive response" model to one of "proactive discovery."

Firstly, the urban management department equipped surveillance cameras with a "brain." The existing 50 high-definition video surveillance feeds were upgraded to an AI analysis system. Common issues such as littering, operating businesses beyond shop thresholds, and sidewalk stalls can now be automatically identified by the system, which conducts non-stop, 24/7 inspections. "Before, manual checks were done twice a day; now, AI scans the area every half hour," said a command center staff member, pointing at a large screen. "You see, if a problem occurs on any road section, the system automatically pops up a window alert; the entire process requires no manual prompting."

Law enforcement vehicles have also been fitted with onboard AI cameras, enabling real-time recording and analysis while the vehicles are in motion. In some cases, vendors occupying the road have not even reacted before the system has generated a work order and sent it to the command center.

Regarding flood prevention, smart governance provides greater peace of mind for residents. There are 15 flood-prone points in Hezhou's urban area. In previous flood seasons, urban management team members and municipal workers had to venture out in the rain to inspect which areas were flooded and to what depth, relying entirely on on-site observation. Now, each flood-prone point is equipped with integrated water level monitoring and smart manhole cover devices. Once the water level rises to the alert line, the system automatically alarms and dispatches a work order. "No alarm has been triggered so far, but with the equipment online 24/7, we feel more assured," a staff member stated, noting that these "electronic sentinels" have transformed "passive emergency response" into "active prevention and control."

Data is the most convincing evidence. Since its operation began, the Hezhou City Urban Operations Management Service Platform has accumulated 800,000 reported work orders. The resolution rate has surged from 27.8% in 2020 to 98.19%. Following the implementation of AI automatic capture, the proactive discovery rate of issues has increased by over 30%, and the average handling time has been reduced from 4 hours to 2 hours.

The economic benefits are also significant: smart inspections have replaced approximately 6 frontline workers, saving 360,000 yuan annually. The urban waterlogging early warning system helps avoid nearly 600,000 yuan in losses each year from incidents like vehicle submersion and shop flooding.

Currently, the Hezhou City Urban Management Bureau is accelerating the improvement of an "integrated network management" system. It has already integrated 50 video surveillance feeds, 130 smart manhole covers, and 15 water level gauges, and is gradually incorporating data resources related to shared bicycles, muck trucks, construction waste, and ancient and famous trees. Hezhou's "AI Urban Management" will continue to "expand its ranks": this year, one set of drones will be put into use, specifically for inspecting illegal constructions and construction waste. Data concerning shared bicycles, the 'three responsibilities at the doorstep' policy, muck trucks, and streetlights will also be progressively integrated into the platform.

As application scenarios continue to broaden and data elements keep accumulating, urban governance in Hezhou is set to become more precise, efficient, and orderly, allowing citizens to reap greater senses of fulfillment, happiness, and security.