The US Department of Transportation’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Infrastructure (Arpa-I) is looking for potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in transportation.

Its request for information (RFI) seeks ideas about emerging challenges and opportunities in creating and deploying AI technologies in applications across all modes of transportation.

The purpose is to obtain input from a broad array of stakeholders on AI opportunities, challenges and related issues in transportation pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 14110 from October 2023 entitled “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence”.

Written submissions must be received by the end of June 2024. These should be sent to docket number DOT-OST-2024-0049 electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov; select “Department of Transportation (DoT)” from the agency menu to submit or view public comments.

Virtually all aspects of transportation and mobility – from the design, construction, operation and maintenance of physical infrastructure systems to the operation of the digital infrastructure that underpins and enables the movement of people and goods – will likely be impacted by the deployment of AI tools and applications. Beyond the direct impact of the technology itself, AI has the potential to reshape how individuals, communities, corporations, governments and other users interact with the transportation network in ways that are difficult to anticipate.

Arpa-I (www.transportation.gov/arpa-i) is an agency within DoT to support the development of science and technology that overcomes long-term challenges and advances the state of the art for US transportation infrastructure.

The aims of Arpa-I include lowering the long-term costs of infrastructure development, including costs of planning, construction and maintenance; reducing the lifecycle impacts of transportation infrastructure on the environment, including through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; contributing to improving the safe, secure and efficient movement of goods and people; promoting the resilience of infrastructure from physical and cyber threats; and ensuring that the USA is a leader in developing and deploying transportation infrastructure technologies and materials.

Operating administrations within DoT have developed and implemented many uses of AI. These range from use of AI and ML technologies to streamline transportation operations, research projects addressing safety such as driver behaviour classification, passenger safety, incident risk assessment, grade crossing safety video analytics, to tools for rapid analysis of text and component schematic data submissions, and to perform real-time asset management to maintain a state of good repair.

Many of the fundamental components of AI technologies and AI tools developed in other domains will be directly applicable to AI in transportation, from algorithmic advances, foundational model development, machine learning, deep learning techniques, and AI assurance methods to methods for ensuring cyber security, model transparency and trustworthiness.