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About

Chen Bei is a leading voice at the intersection of urban robotics, public health, and sustainable development. Her research critically examines how autonomous systems and artificial intelligence are reshaping cities, particularly in response to global crises. Bei’s most cited work, “Containing COVID-19 in China: AI and the robotic restructuring of future cities” (120 citations), offers a prescient analysis of how pandemic management strategies accelerated the deployment of robotics for surveillance, physical distancing, and quarantine enforcement, fundamentally altering urban governance. She further expands this lens in “Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems” (86 citations), a landmark paper that systematically maps the dual potential of robotics to both advance and threaten the UN Sustainable Development Goals. By bridging technical innovation with ethical and policy considerations, Bei has become a key scholar in understanding the societal implications of automation. Her work is essential reading for researchers in urban studies, science and technology studies, and public policy, demonstrating how technology is not merely a tool but a force reshaping the very fabric of future cities.