Sydney, 14 August 2024 – NEC Australia hosted an exclusive breakfast event this morning at the ITS Australia Summit 2024 in Sydney, where industry leaders gathered to discuss the most pressing issues and cutting-edge trends in transport technology.

The breakfast event, held at ICC Sydney, coincided with the release of NEC’s latest whitepaper, “Evolving AI Solutions in Transport and Infrastructure Management”, which provides insights into the use of AI to address current challenges facing the public transport industry.

A panel discussion at the breakfast event featured industry leaders, Mark Messenger, Head of Smart Transport for Australia and New Zealand at NEC, Chris Nielsen, Senior Account Executive for Transport at Amazon Web Services, and Professor Vinayak Dixit, Professor of Transport Engineering at UNSW. The panel explored the challenges the industry faces with AI and the importance of gradually introducing new technology to build trust.

The presentation highlighted that AI is not a new concept; it's been utilised for years. However, with the recent surge in discussions around generative AI, NEC showcased today several longstanding AI solutions they have implemented, such as pot-hole detection on roads, maintenance management systems, and road enforcement solutions.

Commenting at the event, Mark Messenger stated, “The main challenge for governments in adopting AI revolves around trust—trust in the government's intentions to act in the best interest of its constituents, and trust in the technology itself. By introducing AI gradually, we can ensure that its benefits are proven before widescale adoption. Additionally, designing the technology in a way that makes its decision-making process transparent and explainable is crucial for building trust. We don’t build these systems as 'black boxes.'"

Vinayak Dixit emphasised the importance of trust and the need for society to have evidence on the effectiveness of new technologies.

“Society requires solid evidence on the effectiveness of new technologies, particularly in how they align with contextual needs. For instance, a train scheduler—who provides arrival and departure times—must be able to explain how they arrived at those conclusions. Success isn't just about being correct 99% of the time; it's about being able to explain the decision-making process 99% of the time, ensuring transparency and trust."

Chris Nielsen said: “Generative AI and Cloud is forcing the world to rethink how it deploys technology, moving beyond large scale heavily engineered risk-based solutions to more agile small-scale innovation. NEC is an exemplar of this approach with the end goal in mind to deliver rapid, scalable and customer centred innovation.”

Key Highlights from NEC’s Whitepaper:

The transportation sector is undergoing a significant transformation fuelled by rapid technological advancements. AI solutions are at the forefront of this evolution, offering promising avenues for enhancing operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability:

• AI-Driven Predictive Maintenance: AI can predict failures before they happen, slashing downtime and maintenance costs while boosting safety.
• Smart Cities Integration: AI solutions can help optimise traffic, reduce congestion, and enhance public transport efficiency, driving smart city growth.
• Sustainability and Environmental Impact: AI has the potential to reduce carbon emissions with smarter route planning and energy use.
• Public Safety Enhancement: AI-powered systems detect and respond to incidents in real-time, creating safer transport environments.
• Future Innovations: AI is set to revolutionise urban mobility with autonomous vehicles and next-gen traffic management.

Integrating modern AI technologies into transportation and infrastructure management is essential for addressing current challenges and future-proofing the industry, and NEC Australia is poised to lead this transformation, leveraging AI technologies and spatial analytics to address challenges in public transportation and infrastructure management in Australia and New Zealand.

• Case study: NEC has partnered with Hayden AI to introduce a revolutionary bus lane and bus stop enforcement technology platform. This solution is designed to enhance road safety, sustainability, and the accessibility of public transport.

Mark Messenger concluded, “Today’s discussion highlights the transformative impact of AI and emerging technologies on the transport sector. With NEC’s global expertise, local experience and commitment to innovation and collaboration, we are paving the way for smarter, more sustainable transport solutions.”

Download Whitepaper