A drone view of traffic on Highway 24 eastbound heading towards the Caldecott Tunnel in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
“From our perspective, GenAI is a new opportunity,’’ said David Man, division chief of traffic operations for Caltrans. “It’s unknown for state governments as a whole. We wanted to learn about its potential uses, bring in new ideas and innovations, study it and, at our option, consider procuring the technology.”
Gen AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that can create text, audio and photos in response to prompts. It’s the technology behind ChatGPT, the controversial and often inaccurate writing tool started by Microsoft-backed OpenAI. Caltrans officials say the big benefit of the technology is that it has the potential to assist state workers in more quickly and accurately analyzing millions of data points to make more immediate decisions about roadway safety. Officials say AI tools won’t interact with confidential data or personal information.
Raicu, who said she has worked with companies developing “responsible AI policies and processes,” said the immediate need to safeguard GenAI can’t be overstated.California advances measures targeting AI discrimination and deepfakes