Pennsylvania is among the states where engineers are using artificial intelligence to build more resilient infrastructure projects for less money, writes Colbi Edmonds for The New York Times.

For one project, the use of AI is making it possible to create lighter concrete blocks for use in new construction. In another, AI is helping develop a highway wall that can both absorb car noises and help with some of the greenhouse gas emissions created by that traffic.

“These are structures, with the tools that we have, that save materials, save costs, save everything,” said Amir Alavi, an engineering professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Alavi is a member of the consortium that is, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, developing the two AI projects.

The potential of AI use is clear and enormous. However, experts are quick to caution against embracing the new technology too quickly while it is still mostly unregulated and the potential payoffs still remain largely unproven.

Among the main concerns is that AI could draw potentially flawed data from the entirety of the internet, which could result in unreliable results. Read more about the use of AI in infrastructure projects in The New York Times

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