“Talking Transportation”
By Jim Cameron
President
CAMERON COMMUNICATIONS INC
Author: “Off The Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant“
Cover photo by ChatGPT
LorriI love AI (artificial intelligence). I rely on it daily to help with my research.
“How many bar cars did Metro-North operate in the 1990s?” Answer: 10
“How many people died in auto accidents on CT highways in 2019?” Answer: 254
“Create an image of a Metro-North club car” And poof, it’s done!
But what exactly is AI? Let us ask ChatGPT:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like teaching computers to think, learn, and make decisions, similar to how humans do. It uses large amounts of data and clever math to recognize patterns, solve problems, and even predict outcomes.
AI gets its information from data—lots of it! This data can come from:
- Things people create, like books, articles, or videos.
- Sensors, cameras, or microphones that gather real-world information.
- Interactions, like how we use apps, websites, or devices.
- Databases or other stored information, like maps, medical records, or customer reviews.
The more data AI has, the better it can learn and perform, but it is only as good as the data it is trained on!
So AI is great for finding information and creating fantasy images. But have you ever stopped to think about how it might affect your commute? I have… and yes, I also used AI to help come up with some predictions.
THE GOOD NEWS: On the plus side, AI could improve commuting by better handling rail scheduling, matching train capacity with demand. Driverless buses and trains (using AI) will save money and avoid the “human error” factor tied to potential mistakes.
Apps using AI will be able to personalize your travel planning, alerting you to delays and immediately offering suggested alternative routes.
Traffic signals and variable tolling could be modified to meet changing demands. The NY-NJ Port Authority already uses AI to monitor traffic flow, adjusting their reversible traffic lanes to meet demand.
Sensors tied to AI and built into our roads and bridges can alert engineers to potential defects and schedule maintenance before critical systems might fail.
Soon you’ll be able to chat with your AI, even in your car. Need a charging station for your EV? Or looking for cheaper gas than at the service areas? Just ask.
AI is already being used to keep you safe, detecting weapons that are being carried onto subways in NYC. Maybe those TSA security lines at airports will move faster, too.
THE BAD NEWS?: AI may be threatening your job. If you’re an information worker, especially one working from home, your job may be in jeopardy. AI is increasingly being integrated into business and is cheaper than paying humans.
We’ve already seen the impact of WFH (work from home) on our trains. Fewer jobs will mean fewer commuters. That could mean even bigger operating losses for transit operators, provoking service cuts and higher fares.
While AI can teach itself, it still needs some human supervision, so dozens of new job titles are being created from the engineering, design, training and yes, even ethics perspectives of working with AI.
How to adapt your career and survive? Well, maybe you should ask AI.
Jim Cameron is founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. His weekly column “Talking Transportation” is archived here. You can contact Jim at [email protected].
