San Jose pilot program using AI to detect roadway obstructions sees positive results

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The City of San Jose is utilizing artificial intelligence to clean up the streets.

The Road Safety Conditions Pilot Program allows staff to spot roadway hazard and get crews out to fix them, before residents even have the chance to report them.

The City of San Jose is taking a proactive, not reactive, approach to keeping roadways clear of illegal dumping, lived-in vehicles and potholes.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, they're using artificial intelligence to do so.

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"Right now, San Jose 311 really relies on our residents to report issues in San Jose and that shouldn't be their job," San Jose Information Technology Dept. Public Information Manager Chelsea Palacio said. "That should be on the city to find those issues and resolve them. So, with AI technology, we're hoping that we can be a more proactive city."

Using cameras mounted on city vehicles to capture road conditions, AI detects obstructions in and around roadways in an effort to reduce them.

Early testing in South San Jose's District 10 has shown great results.

"We had a 97% accuracy when it came to detecting potholes and an 88% accuracy in detecting illegal dumping or garbage piles," Palacio said. "Just that initial testing really showed the city that this technology can work and AI can help us."

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The city is now entering into phase two.

After about a year of training the AI model, the Information Technology Department will now expand the number of objects the AI can detect with even greater accuracy.

Phase one required city staff to manually input results into 311, but phase two will automatically do this - so city staff can focus on dealing with the reported issues.

"The problem that the city is trying to solve is to really have proactive services instead of reactive services," Palacio said. "The City of San Jose is really leading this effort in responsible and ethical AI and the Road Safety Pilot is just the beginning."

Mayor Matt Mahan believes AI can transform how the city serves its residents to find solutions and building a better San Jose through technology.