US Department of Transportation Forms Committee to Focus on AI Safety

The recently formed Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC) of the U.S. Department of Transformation ( USDOT) just concluded its first meeting. The participants discussed key topics such as autonomous driving, safety, and the application of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

Vinn White, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Secretary of Transportation said the committee, in its future meetings, will also extensively discuss AI safety and the impact of AI on the U.S. transportation system.

The committee, which comprises 27-members from different backgrounds including academia, think tanks, and the public and private sectors, will also discuss job displacement and workforce issues.

Currently, the automobile industry is going through a significant transformation driven by AI. The technology is finding use cases from battery management in HEV/ EV to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Many among the 27 member committee opined that ADAS safety standards and autonomous vehicle company regulations are the need of the hour. 

“We want to make sure that we can actually achieve safety in a real way and also have it help consumers and not put them in a position where they are… becoming over-reliant or complacent on some of these technologies,” Kelly Funkhouser, Consumer Reports Vehicle Technology Associate Director said in the meeting.

As outlined by the USDOT, the purpose of TTAC is to address matters concerning the safe, secure, fair, environmentally sustainable, and inclusive implementation and integration of emerging technologies, including AI-powered automation applications.

USDOT’s main goal is ‘zero traffic deaths’ which encompasses safety and responsible use of emerging technologies like AI.

In October 2023, with the “Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence,” the Joe Biden-led administration mandated all developers of the technology as well as federal agencies to ensure AI developments are safe, secure, and trustworthy.