Artificial intelligence from Google learned to control traffic lights

Google wants to hand over the management of traffic to the artificial intelligence in order to protect the environment. The fact is that unreasonable downtime of cars with internal combustion engines at regulated intersections leads to unnecessary fuel burning and increased emissions into the atmosphere. To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to optimize the travel time of cars through intersections, for which the control of traffic lights should be transferred to artificial intelligence.

All intersections are different, the traffic is constantly changing, there can not be a single scheme – so we need an artificial intelligence, which will analyze the situation and continuously learn. Perhaps, it is necessary to put a personal system for each traffic light, or to add the appropriate global option to the architecture of the “smart city”. The project was launched in partnership with the municipalities of Haifa, Beer Sheva, and the Israel National Road Company, and the first four intersections have already become test areas.

According to the Israeli side, they have already seen an acceleration of 10-20% in passing the intersections with artificial intelligence, and a proportional reduction in emissions. Google promises to soon develop a similar solution for Rio de Janeiro. So far, the company does not explain how artificial intelligence will be integrated into the work of road services, how it will ensure the safety of passing intersections, and whether it will create a new vulnerability for hackers.