Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and former New York mayor, has launched the Mayors AI Forum, a global coalition of 1,000 city leaders focused on AI policy and deployment. The forum aims to give local officials a direct role in shaping how AI is used in cities and communities. Founding members include mayors from Boston, London, San Francisco, Madrid, Tokyo and Kyiv representing over 100 million people. The initiative puts more emphasis on peer learning and implementation across cities. Participants will also have access to closed-door meetings with Big Tech executives and global policymakers. The event comes amidst increasing local AI backlash, with over 360,000 members of Facebook groups opposing AI data centers.