The city of San Jose is hoping a new AI grant will make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Mayor Matt Mahan has made it clear that he plans on using the technology to fix some of the city's problems. Now, with a $260,000 grant from the Toyota Mobility Foundation, the city is planning on using artificial intelligence to detect road obstructions like illegal parking and furniture dumping.
“Leveraging AI to keep our bike lanes clear not only enhances public safety but also exemplifies San José’s commitment to innovative solutions,” Mahan said in a news release.
Ahmed Banafa, a technology expert at San Jose State University, said as the technology gathers more information about street behaviors it will make it easier for officials make decisions around city planning.
“Analyzing the pictures, analyzing the information will be done by the AI,” he said. “Instead of waiting for some people to collect it, organize it, it's going to be fast and in real time. It’s programmed to take action based on the violation.”
As the technology improves Banafa said he expects more cities will begin using AI.
“‘We’re going to see a lot of funding coming from private organizations or from the federal govt, the state,” Banafa said.
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