Ana Arias, Geographic Information Systems Analyst at the City of Coral Gables, was a speaker during the DSS MIA 2024 conference. Her talk about transforming public services using AI was an inspiring and refreshing session between business- and technology-focused presentations.
In her talk, she showed how the City of Coral Gables has witnessed significant improvements in the city’s services and day-to-day management. This includes increasing productivity among city-operated services and reducing their carbon footprint. Implementing AI-based technology has also enabled the city to better manage risks and improve safety.
Good starting point
The city was already using IoT and data-gathering technologies when Ana Arias started building her AI-powered solutions. The vast majority of the data was in the public domain, available via the Smart City Hub.
“We are using sensors, cameras, and other tools around the city to capture data and turn it into information,” she shared during her speech. The platform is free for everyone. “This information is used to make informed decisions. We can see how our citizens are interacting with the city and its services,” she added.
The digital twin
The access to and availability of data enabled the city to run its “digital twin.” The virtual model is used to enhance and ease urban planning, financial management, and citizen engagement. With the connected data, it is possible to run a real-time 3D model of the city infrastructure, showing the current state of public services.
“To run this platform, we use a lot of AI and IoT solutions. It is so good that, if you want to see the state of public transportation, you can see precisely where the trolley currently is and when to expect it,” says Ana Arias.
Aida to aid, AutonomIA in traffic
The City of Coral Gables also provides a chatbot named Aida. Initially, it was part of the NSF-funded STIR Labs initiative. The system has evolved, and new features have been added.
“The chatbot is currently using the GPT-4 model,” she says. “It was trained on all city websites and data, and it is also trained using interaction data,” she adds.
Another interesting application of data and the digital twin is the AutonomIA AI traffic-optimization system. It is a multi-agent reinforcement-learning solution that aims to make traffic-light management as efficient and seamless for commuters as possible.
“With the AutonomIA system we will be able to reduce the time everybody has to spend commuting and waiting at traffic lights, saving hours of life,” she says. “We will also reduce gas consumption and carbon emissions.”
Future plans
The city IT department is not limiting itself to the solutions listed above. The team is already working on smarter field assessment and combining the information gathered on the smart platform with VR technology.
“By using AI glasses, one will be able to make assessments for all the tools,” the expert shares. The city is also using drones to create new, up-to-date 3D images that will be used in the digital twin and similar services.
If you wish to participate in inspiring, eye-opening talks like this, don’t hesitate to secure your spot at the upcoming Data Science Salon Miami – The Future of Applied AI in the Enterprise.
The event will feature speakers from companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google DeepMind, and American Express. The full schedule is available on the event page. And if you wish to know more about the innovations in the City of Coral Gables, the city’s Innovation and Technology Director Raimundo Rodulfo will be one of the panelists during the event!
