Signal 3: One Possible Solution to Beijing Traffic Jam: AI
We can apply AI into three aspects to release the traffic jam in Beijing. 1) Intelligent GPS: help user figure out the route with least traffic, which will disperse the heavy flows. 2) Smart traffic signal: flexible interval time according to the current traffic situation. 3) AI-operated car: normalize driving behavior which is the top cause of congestion.
About 90 percent of accidents are caused by human error, it’s common for human drivers to break traffic rules, get tired and scatterbrained. Besides, these will cause traffic jams easily. However, AI can react 10 times faster and more efficient than human. Plus, AI-operated vehicles can communicate with each other and the surrounding infrastructure. These will help autonomous cars behave in advance and avoid accidents.
AI self-driving cars have already get tested in Hangzhou (another smart city in China) and it saved vehicles 3 minutes an average in daily travel time. Beijing has allowed autonomous cars been tested on the public roads, so I think the application of AI-operated vehicles there will come soon despite it still lacks relative policies now. Although even the intelligent GPS will get confused when I drive in the complex CBD region, I believe the AI technology will get well-developed quickly.
