Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionise how we manage and experience transport across Europe. By optimising traffic management, advancing automotive technologies, improving public transportation systems, and facilitating logistics and supply chains, AI holds the potential to enhance safety, sustainability, and the overall effectiveness of future mobility solutions.
ERTICO's White Paper on ‘Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in the Domain of Transport & Mobility’ provides a first examination of the opportunities, challenges, and future outlook. It explores the potential of related applications, including generative AI and large language models, and how they can support compliance with European Union (EU) policy targets.
Unlocking the Potential of AI in Mobility
AI has already made impressive strides in European transport, with applications in real-time traffic management, automated driving, and predictive logistics. In traffic management, AI-driven systems can dynamically adjust traffic signals, reduce congestion, and improve air quality by minimising stop-and-go traffic.
Beyond operational efficiencies, these advancements support key EU policy goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving public safety. AI technologies are helping to build a more connected, resilient, and user-centric mobility ecosystem, where public transport, shared mobility, and low-emission options are increasingly prioritised.
AI-driven systems are already making a significant impact across various areas of transport:
- Intelligent Traffic Management: AI uses real-time data to optimise traffic flow, adjust signal timings, and predict congestion. This helps to reduce journey times, lower emissions, and improve road safety.
- Automated Vehicles: AI can be a sort of backbone of higher levels of automated self-driving cars, vans, trucks and buses up to autonomous driving. It enables predictive maintenance, smarter route planning, and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, paving the way for safer, more efficient travel.
- Improved Public Transport: AI can dynamically adjust bus and train schedules in response to real-time demand, reducing wait times and providing passengers with a smoother, more reliable service.
- Streamlined Supply Chains: AI transforms logistics by predicting disruptions, optimising deliveries, and improving inventory management, making operations more efficient and environmentally friendly.
Overcoming Key Challenges
While the benefits of AI in mobility are substantial, several challenges must be addressed to ensure its responsible and effective implementation, including some of the key challenges:
- Regulation and compliance: Regulatory compliance remains a top priority, especially given the recent European Union’s AI frameworks, such as the AI Act, which classifies AI applications by risk level. High-risk applications, including those used in traffic management, are subject to strict regulations to safeguard public safety and privacy. AI systems, particularly in areas like traffic control and automated driving, must adhere to strict EU regulations.
- Data privacy: AI-driven mobility solutions often rely on vast amounts of data, raising questions about data ownership, transparency, and ethical use. The extensive use of personal and transport data raises concerns about privacy. Ensuring data protection and transparency will be essential to gaining public trust and compliance with EU data regulations.
- Skills gap: As AI reshapes the transport sector, there is a growing need to upskill employees in AI and data analytics, as well as a demand for new skill sets that can manage advanced systems. Addressing these skill gaps through targeted training and educational programs will be vital to the sustainable implementation of AI technologies in mobility.
The Future of Mobility with AI
AI is no longer a distant concept - it is already shaping the future of European mobility. As AI technology advances, we are moving toward smarter, more sustainable, and more connected transport systems. Realising this future will require ongoing collaboration, commitment to ethical innovation, and careful deployment, paving the way for a new era in European transport. Key priorities include:
International collaboration: Harmonising standards across borders is crucial for ensuring that AI systems can operate seamlessly and safely.
Investment in innovation: funding for AI research, particularly in areas of safety and ethics, will drive responsible technological advancements.
Inclusive mobility: AI must improve transport for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, and ensure accessible, user-friendly services for all.
ERTICO’s Initiatives: Paving the Way for AI in Mobility
As part of its commitment to advancing intelligent transport systems, ERTICO is involved in numerous initiatives that exemplify AI’s role in transforming mobility. Innovation Platforms like TM2.0 (Traffic Management 2.0) and TN-ITS leverage AI to enhance traffic flow and map accuracy, while the EAVP (Enhancing Automated Valet Parking) innovation platform demonstrates how AI can streamline urban mobility with intelligent parking solutions. The MaaS Alliance (Mobility-as-a-Service) further showcases the potential of AI in offering personalised, on-demand mobility through integrated digital platforms.
Artificial Intelligence-based applications have been successfully deployed for the past two decades and have contributed to the enhancement of road traffic safety and efficiency. With the recent adoption of the European AI Act, implementation steps are now being prepared. Special attention is needed to several traffic management use cases which have been qualified as high risk in the AI Act. ERTICO’s TM2.0 Innovation Platform brings together public and private stakeholders within the European Road Traffic Management sector to promote and deploy interactive Traffic Management solutions. The Platform has established guidelines to facilitate the integration of AI in an innovation-driven and practical manner while enhancing road safety and the competitiveness of the European Union and the traffic management sector. These guidelines, which are detailed in the TM2.0 Position Paper, outline how to categorise AI systems within traffic management to create a working solution in which innovation is supported and risks are controlled. An update of the paper is foreseen in the near future.
The Road Ahead: A Vision for AI-Enabled Mobility in Europe
AI is poised to reshape mobility in Europe by creating more sustainable, efficient, and inclusive transport systems. As AI technologies continue to evolve, ERTICO’s White Paper calls for a proactive, collaborative approach to navigating the challenges and seizing the opportunities that AI presents. By fostering a robust regulatory environment, supporting research, and prioritising ethical, user-centric design, Europe can lead the way in creating an AI-powered mobility future that benefits all.
ERTICO’s White Paper underscores the importance of collaboration among governments, industries, and research institutions to fully realise AI’s potential in mobility. It serves as a foundational resource for stakeholders across Europe, guiding them toward a connected, resilient, and responsible AI-driven mobility landscape that meets the needs of today’s dynamic transport ecosystem.
Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO, concludes:
“We are pleased to announce this White Paper, which is the result of teamwork with the members of our Strategy committee and our Supervisory Board. As part of its commitment to advancing intelligent transport systems, ERTICO is involved in numerous initiatives that exemplify the role of AI in transforming mobility. We are engaging with the European Commission and other stakeholders to discuss guidelines for a workable implementation of AI Act.”