I love AI (artificial intelligence). I rely on it daily to help with my research.
“How many bar cars did
Metro-North operate in the 1990s?” Answer: 10
“How many people died in auto
accidents on CT highways in 2019?” Answer: 254
“Create an image of a
Metro-North club car” And
poof, it’s done!
 |
| Fasntasy Image of MNRR Club Car by Chapt GPT |
But what exactly is AI? Let’s ask ChatGPT:
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
is like teaching computers to think, learn, and make decisions, similar to how
humans do. It uses large amounts of data and clever math to recognize patterns,
solve problems, and even predict outcomes.
AI gets its information from
data—lots of it! This data can come from:
- Things people create, like books,
articles, or videos.
- Sensors, cameras, or microphones that
gather real-world information.
- Interactions, like how we use apps,
websites, or devices.
- Databases or other stored information,
like maps, medical records, or customer reviews.
The more data AI has, the
better it can learn and perform, but it’s only as good as the data it’s trained
on!
So AI is great for finding
information and creating fantasy images.
But have you ever stopped to think about how it might affect your
commute? I have… and yes, I also used AI
to help come up with some predictions.
THE GOOD NEWS: On the plus side, AI could improve
commuting by better handling rail scheduling, matching train capacity with
demand. Driverless buses and trains (using
AI) will save money and avoid the “human error” factor tied to potential mistakes.
Apps using AI will be able to
personalize your travel planning, alerting you to delays and immediately offering
suggested alternative routes.
Traffic signals and variable
tolling could be modified to meet changing demands. The NY-NJ Port Authority already uses AI to
monitor traffic flow, adjusting their reversible traffic lanes to meet demand.
Sensors tied to AI and built
into our roads and bridges can alert engineers to potential defects and
schedule maintenance before critical systems might fail.
Soon you’ll be able to chat
with your AI, even in your car. Need a
charging station for your EV? Or looking
for cheaper gas than at the service areas?
Just ask.
AI is already being used to
keep you safe, detecting weapons that are being carried onto subways in
NYC. Maybe those TSA security lines at
airports will move faster, too.
THE BAD NEWS?: AI
may be threatening your job. If you’re
an information worker, especially one working from home, your job may be in
jeopardy. AI is increasingly being
integrated into business and is cheaper than paying humans.
We’ve already seen the impact
of WFH (work from home) on our trains. Fewer
jobs will mean fewer commuters. That
could mean even bigger operating losses for transit operators, provoking
service cuts and higher fares.
While AI can teach itself, it
still needs some human supervision, so dozens of new job titles are being
created from the engineering, design, training and yes, even ethics perspectives
of working with AI.
How to adapt your career and
survive? Well, maybe you should ask AI.
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