The U.S. Department of Transportation announced July 22 it has launched a new initiative to use artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize and modernize the country’s transportation infrastructure.
As part of President Donald Trump’s Genesis Mission Executive Order, the effort will us AI to transform how the country builds, operates and maintains the physical transportation infrastructure, officials said. The department’s challenge is part of a larger, cross-agency effort to reimagine the design, operation and resiliency of the country’s physical infrastructure as a way to lower costs, improve safety and increase efficiency.
“We’re leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver a better travel experience for American families and stronger supply chains for businesses,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said.
The initiative will focus on increasing housing availability and affordability, shortening construction and maintenance time, extending the service life of infrastructure, reducing operational costs through maintenance, reducing urban gridlock and supply chain friction, and optimizing the transportation network.
“For the first time in history, we possess the computational power to treat our transportation network as a single, solvable mathematical equation,” USDOT Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Seval Oz said. “We are using advanced AI to lower costs and transform the lifecycle of physical transportation infrastructure. By leveraging generational leaps in science and technology, we will fortify our national transportation framework to optimize American mobility and drive economic dominance for generations to come.”