Abstract: As China is at a critical juncture in advancing the modernization of its urban governance system and capacity, mega-city as a whole occupies a pivotal position in urban governance and the modernization of mega-city governance necessitates balancing precision, agility, and resilience. As megacities continue to expand in scale and face increasing governance complexities, traditional urban governance models struggle to meet contemporary developmental demands. Artificial intelligence technology, instead, offers novel approaches to resolving the challenges inherent in modernizing mega-city governance. Taking Shenzhen’s initiative for high-quality development and large-scale application of “City+AI” as a case study, this research selects three application scenarios: the “AI City Scanner”, the “AI+Digital Twin” system at Shenzhen North Railway Station, and the “Smart Flood Control” system in Guangming District. The findings reveal that artificial intelligence has fundamentally transformed the traditional urban governance model—which was characterized by bureaucratic expansion, hierarchical control, and passive responsiveness. In its place, a governance agent has emerged, bearing capabilities for proactive response, self-realization, and dynamic evolution, thereby charting new pathways for modernizing mega-city governance. Moving forward, it is imperative to more proactively unleash the driving force of artificial intelligence on mega-city governance and explore novel pathways for its modernization.

Key words: artificial intelligence, modernization of mega-city governance, smart city, application scenarios