Progress is promised by the term “smart city” itself—slick, seamless, mechanized futures teeming with creativity. But what if a darker reality is subtly developing beneath the glistening skyline of sensors and algorithms? What if the gain in intelligence is more about keeping people preoccupied, obedient, and, in many circumstances, less intelligent than it is about making them smarter? It is time we peel back the layers of this “smart” narrative and face the other side of the coin.