We’re still only scratching the surface of how artificial intelligence can be used to help humanity, and, as always, the UAE is helping to lead the way.
Abu Dhabi’s transport authority is teaming up with Google to harness the company’s AI tech to solve traffic issues in the emirate.
How exactly? First, it will be using machine learning to increase green lights and allow the most cars through possible, which would in turn drop the amount of stop and go traffic and even decrease carbon emissions.
Inside Google’s Project Green Light
The program is called Project Green Light, and is already being piloted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Hamburg, Germany.
How does it work? The AI monitors traffic patterns over a period of time, and then makes recommendations on which green lights should be increased, and by how many seconds, and during which hours things are busiest.
In time, that will aid congestion issues and hopefully cut down on overall gridlock.
“We’re at an exciting inflection point. Building this transformational technology responsibly must be a collective effort that involves researchers, social scientists, industry experts, governments and people,” said Karan Bhatia, Google’s Global Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy at an event in Abu Dhabi today.
Read more on Google’s plan’s here.
“Extreme temperatures and poor air quality are increasingly common in cities and can impact public health. To mitigate this, our Project Green Light uses AI to optimize traffic lights at intersections around the world with the aim to help minimize congestion and related pollution. Project Air View also brings detailed air quality maps to scientists, policymakers and communities. And we’re working to expand our Environmental Insights Explorer’s Tree Canopy Insights tool to hundreds of cities by the end of this year so they can use trees to lower street-level temperatures and improve quality of life,” writes Yossi Matias, VP Engineering & Research and Crisis Response Lead at Google.
The UAE’s focus on AI tech
This isn’t the only thing in the works. The United Arab Emirates plans to push forward with AI and other machine learning tech in many different ways, more of which will be unveiled in the coming years.
The country’s capital even has its own AI university, the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, which is focused on developing the software and preparing UAE nationals for that new future.
Find more on the university (and see how to apply!) here.
“AI research and development is central to the UAE’s economic diversification, sustainable growth and global competitiveness strategy, and partnerships with key industry leaders are important for the continued application of the university’s pioneering research,” Sultan Al Hajji, MBZUAI Vice President of Public Affairs and Alumni Relations, also said at the event.
While a lot of that will involve startups based in the country, Google has made it clear that it plans to continue working with the tech-forward country in a big way.
“ There is so much we can accomplish and so much we must get right, together. There’s significant value in collaborative leadership in AI and we look forward to doing more with local partners in the UAE and to help advance AI research and solutions that meet the needs of the country,” Bhatia added.