States turn to AI for traffic management

Friday, July 12, 2024

LEADING THE DAY

States turn to AI for traffic management

Image © AP

Can artificial intelligence make your commute better? State governments across the nation are aiming to find out as road safety and traffic management become early test drives for the potential life-improving benefits of AI.

California has signed contracts with three major firms to pilot the use of generative AI technologies to address traffic bottlenecks and improve pedestrian safety. Texas is already using AI technology to detect roadway incidents more quickly based on changes in traffic patterns.

In Florida, the state transportation department has certified an Israeli company to deploy AI technology to reduce congestion and improve safety. And in Pennsylvania, the state is working with AI researchers to develop lighter concrete blocks and materials for noise-absorbing walls — material that can also trap greenhouse gases.

Expect more states to get in on the AI game. Your morning drive to work may be all the better for it. 

Welcome to Tech Friday, a joint project of The Hill and Pluribus News covering tech policy across government.

Sign up to receive The Hill's newsletters here. Rather not receive this newsletter? Let us know.

IN WASHINGTON THIS WEEK

Image © Allison Robbert

Bipartisan bill gives artists, journalists control over content

New legislation from Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) would require AI platforms to allow users to attach content provenance information to their work, prrevent AI systems from training or creating synthetic content without a user’s consent and compensation. Read more at The Hill.

Biden admin meets with crypto firms

Senior White House adviser Anita Dunn met with dozens of crypto currency leaders at a roundtable organized by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) this week, opening a line of communication as the White House finds itself at odds with the crypto industry. Crypto leaders have been critical of SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, who has been hostile to the industry. Read more at The Hill.

DOJ disrupts Russian bot farm

Federal law enforcement authorities have shut down a Russian disinformation campaign backed by the Kremlin, the Department of Justice said this week. The bot farm of about 1,000 accounts on the social media platform X had been overseen by a former editor-in-chief of the state media outlet RT. Read more at The Hill.

IN BUSINESS THIS WEEK

Biden admin boosts EV industry

The Biden administration will grant $1.7 billion in funds to auto manufacturers across the country to help cover the costs of transitioning facilities to electric vehicle operations. The administration prioritized facilities that had temporarily closed or were at risk of closure. Read more at The Hill.

Microsoft gives up OpenAI board seat

Microsoft has resigned its observer seat on the board of OpenAI in the midst of scrutiny by U.S. and European antitrust regulators. The Federal Trade Commission had previously opened an investigation into investments Microsoft, Amazon and Google have made in leading AI firms. Read more at The Hill.

UK Amazon workers voting on union

Amazon workers at a fulfillment center in Coventry in the United Kingdom are voting on whether to join a trade union, the first such vote in an Amazon facility in Europe. Voting runs through Saturday, with results expected Monday. Read more at The Hill.

Magnificent Seven performance this week

AAPL +1.6%, NVDA +1.9%, MSFT -2.7%, GOOG -1.9%, TSLA -0.9%, AMZN -2.5%, META -7.6%. NASDAQ-100 Tech Sector index: -0.03%.

IN THE STATES THIS WEEK

Image © AP

California AI bill advances

California’s Assembly Judiciary Committee has advanced major legislation that would regulate AI models that cost more than $100 million to train. The bill aims to future-proof against next-generation systems going rogue and triggering “critical harm” events. Read more at Pluribus News.

Blue states target gig companies

Massachusetts is the latest Democratic-controlled state to forge an agreement on worker pay and benefits with Uber and Lyft, the gig economy giants. The deal, which will see drivers earn a minimum of $32.50 an hour, settles a 2020 lawsuit against the companies that sought to guarantee overtime and sick pay. Read more at Pluribus News.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) has formed an artificial intelligence task force and is proposing a $100 million research and innovation hub to help local businesses compete in AI development. Healey also announced a partnership with Northeastern University to develop AI tools for state government agencies. Read more from the Boston Globe

ON OUR RADAR

July 17: The WeAreDevelopers World Congress opens in Berlin.

July 18: Netflix and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing report first-quarter earnings.

Do this ...

A new study from the University of Southern California finds ChatGPT can write some pretty good jokes. Almost 70% of participants in the study rated jokes written by the AI chatbot funnier than jokes written by regular people. Joke headlines written by The Onion were rated about as funny as those written by ChatGPT. Read more at CBS News.

Don't do this ...

Amazon’s expensive foray into business robots is coming to an end. The company alerted employees working on and businesses using its Astro for Business robots that the devices would stop working Sept. 25. Amazon said it would shift its robotics program to at-home models. Read more at Wired.

You're all caught up! See you next week.