  Against the backdrop of rising anxiety and discussions on the impact of AI on
society, I explore in this article the structural possibilities of AI and
automation triggering a new social conflict between the current capitalist
elites and the emerging "creative class" (R&D scientists, engineers, business
developers, etc.), and how this conflict can produce social tensions and
transform urban space. By drawing insights from a structurally similar conflict
in 17-18th century Europe between the aristocracy and the emerging bourgeoisie,
the impact of this conflict on the social, spatial, and power landscapes in
cities of that time, as well as current trends in urban geography, this article
outlines the prospects of urban transformations under changing production and
consumption economies.
