Dubai has announced plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse traffic patterns and alleviate congestion on its roads.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched an advanced Enterprise Platform, collaborating with leading global firms, to design and develop AI and data science solutions at a world-class level.
The platform excels in processing the RTA’s data, restructuring it for training machine learning models that drive innovation and excellence across various operations. These operations include predictive maintenance for roads and bridges, planning public transportation routes, managing crowds, and more.
Mattar Al Tayer, the Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA, emphasised that the launch of this platform demonstrates RTA’s commitment to transforming Dubai into the smartest city worldwide. By leveraging AI, the platform aims to enhance residents’ well-being, promote sustainability, and improve service efficiency.
The RTA possesses one of the UAE’s largest big data platforms in terms of storage capacity, which is now linked with the AI platform. This integration allows for the use of historical data to develop use cases aligned with RTA’s strategic and operational needs. Among these applications is the analysis of traffic data to identify patterns and make forecasts, ultimately facilitating effective road network planning and reducing traffic congestion.
The AI platform serves as the foundation for a comprehensive AI project roadmap within the RTA. It encompasses over 100 use cases across various domains, including predictive maintenance for RTA’s assets and properties, integration of AI-driven smart services to enhance customer and employee experiences, and streamlining administrative tasks processing.
By 2031, RTA aims to incorporate AI technologies into all its systems, focusing on crucial use cases such as predictive maintenance for roads and bridges, public transportation network planning, and crowd management.
The platform stands out for its ability to train deep machine learning models and provides a wide range of pre-built algorithms, eliminating the need for writing source code. It facilitates the comparison of algorithm performance in terms of speed and accuracy, enabling the selection of the most suitable one for implementation.
Furthermore, the platform empowers RTA to develop AI use cases, integrate them into various systems like websites and digital apps, monitor machine learning model performance, and implement mechanisms to interpret AI model decisions. This ensures that AI models adhere to the principles and ethics set by the Dubai Digital Authority, preventing decisions that are incompatible with these guidelines.
To promote development across the board, RTA has trained several Emiratis in leadership, supervisory, and technical roles. These individuals are equipped to analyse data, extract relevant information for decision-making, and develop use cases on the RTA’s AI platform, thus bolstering reliance on in-house resources.
