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Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to solve real-world problems, improving efficiency, strengthening decision-making and addressing complex challenges that affect everyday life. 

At ����԰��Ƶ, researchers across disciplines are applying AI to develop solutions that benefit communities and society. In Fall 2025, the University debuted MonarchSphere, the nation’s first-of-its-kind AI innovation and enablement ecosystem for higher education powered by Google Cloud. Through a centralized and scalable platform, faculty, researchers, students and institutional teams can access advanced AI capabilities, cloud infrastructure and collaborative innovative environments designed to support teaching and learning, research enablement, workforce development, operational transformation, and applied AI experimentation across disciplines. The University’s leadership in AI is gaining attention from industries, like transportation, that need help solving everyday life challenges.

Transportation systems affect nearly every aspect of daily life, from commuting to the movement of goods and the maintenance and management of infrastructure. Transportation agencies have already adopted AI, but at varying paces. As AI becomes more integrated into transportation, researchers are examining how it may reshape both the technology and the workforce behind it.

To better understand and prepare for these changes, ����԰��Ƶ researchers are leading a national effort focused on the future of transportation work.

Backed by a $500,000 award from the Transportation Research Board, a division of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the team will study how AI will reshape the transportation workforce. The research will explore how AI may affect public-sector transportation jobs, how roles and responsibilities could evolve, and what new skills will be required.

The interdisciplinary team is led by Mecit Cetin, Ph.D., professor in the University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Transportation Research Institute, and co-principal investigators Murat Kuzlu, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology, and Cynthia Tomovic, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Workforce Development and former director of the training specialist program. 

The group will also collaborate with a broader team, including Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Ph.D., director of the University’s Social Science Research Center, as well as two consulting companies, Slalom Consulting and Noblis.

“Right now, each transportation agency is using different technologies, but there is no coherent framework or guidebook in place to help them navigate this unknown territory,” said Dr. Cetin.

To address that need, the team will create a guidebook to help transportation agencies use AI safely, while preparing employees for changing roles. 

The guidebook will also address risks, such as cybersecurity and data reliability, with recommendations for oversight, ethical use and maintaining human responsibility for safety-critical decisions.

The two-year project will include focus groups and surveys of transportation agencies nationwide to understand how AI is currently being used, how it is affecting employees’ daily responsibilities and where gaps exist. They will then identify tasks that can be supported or augmented by AI, outline the skills workers will need and develop practical recommendations for agencies to adopt AI, while supporting their workforce.

The urgency of the work is driven by the rapid pace of AI development. As technologies evolve, many public agencies lack the internal expertise to evaluate and implement them effectively.

“The landscape is changing very quickly,” Dr. Cetin said. “The sooner agencies are prepared, the better they can take advantage of it, while managing the potential risks.” 

AI is already being used in transportation to monitor road conditions, manage infrastructure assets, such as signs and guardrails, and detect traffic incidents through camera systems. 

In traffic operations centers, for example, staff often monitor camera feeds around the clock. AI systems could process video automatically to detect incidents, like crashes or stalled vehicles, more quickly, allowing crews to respond faster.

For engineers and transportation professionals, generative AI tools are being used to quickly scan through long manuals and technical documents, helping the experts quickly find the information they need. 

“These tools can significantly boost productivity by reducing the time spent searching for information and streamlining workflows,” said Dr. Kuzlu.

Dr. Tomovic said in many cases, transportation agencies are already facing staffing shortages, making AI a potential tool to help fill gaps.

The team says AI is more likely to change jobs than replace them. Most work in the transportation industry, they say, will still require human judgment, especially in complex decisions involving safety, design and funding. In those cases, AI will act as a tool to support workers, not replace them.

That shift is already underway.

“AI adoption in transportation is no longer hypothetical — it is happening now,” said Dr. Cetin. “The key question is not whether Departments of Transportation will use AI, but how they can do so thoughtfully, responsibly and effectively.”

The project’s culminating guidebook will be shared with state Departments of Transportation nationwide. 

As AI continues to reshape industries, the transportation sector stands at a pivotal moment — one that requires both innovation and careful preparation. The work led by ����԰��Ƶ researchers highlights the importance of not only advancing AI technologies, but also equipping the workforce to use them effectively and responsibly.

By developing a practical roadmap for adoption, the team’s research will help transportation agencies navigate rapid technological change, while maintaining safety, accountability and public trust. It reinforces a critical message: the future of transportation will not be defined by AI alone, but by how people and technology evolve together.

Through this effort and initiatives like MonarchSphere, ����԰��Ƶ is positioning itself at the forefront of applied AI, driving solutions that extend beyond campus and into the communities these systems serve.