San Jose AI Road Hazard Detection Pilot Achieves 97% Accuracy, Expands Citywide

Several cities and institutions are deploying AI technologies to enhance road safety, maintenance, and infrastructure assessment. Purdue-connected startup PaveX has used AI-powered sensors to assess over 3,400 miles of Indiana roads, offering a cost-effective and faster alternative to traditional methods, with plans to expand to other states. The National Institute of Technology - Rourkela secured a patent for an AI-enabled model optimizing Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) to improve vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication for timely alerts and safer navigation. San José's Road Safety Conditions Pilot, supported by a Toyota Mobility Foundation grant, uses AI with cameras on city vehicles to detect potholes, illegal dumping, and other hazards with high accuracy, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing reliance on citizen reports. This initiative prioritizes privacy by automatically blurring personal information and plans to expand detection capabilities and share AI tools with other governments. These projects collectively demonstrate how AI is transforming urban infrastructure management through increased efficiency, safety, and community trust.