Generative technology could put the ‘AI’ in ‘rail’
Aerospace and aviation are already benefiting from generative AI, but what more can it offer rail?
By Guy Yeomans Principal - Horizon Scanning, RSSB
In many ways, we’re now ‘living in the future’. When IBM’s Deep Blue beat a human player at chess back in 1997, who could have thought that, less than three decades later, our technology would be capable of generating entire novels, works of art, complete songs, and more?
Experts have been experimenting with different elements of artificial intelligence (AI) for some years now, and the pace of development has been nothing short of astonishing. In fact, not only have they refined those early analytical AI systems, but they’ve also created a new set of services termed generative AI, or Gen AI.
This is a class of AI technology that builds on prior machine learning and deep learning to create text, imagery, music, and other outputs by utilising generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) tools using large language models. Some of the most popular GPTs today include ChatGPT 4, Bard, and Claude.
Machine learning is AI that can automatically adapt with minimal human input. Deep learning, a subset of machine learning, uses artificial neural networks to mimic the learning process of the human brain.
Could this rapidly evolving technology have any benefits for the rail industry or for individual rail organisations? RSSB’s Futures Lab recently led an internal project on Gen AI as part of its Emerging Risks Framework research. That project sought to consider the utility, risks, and opportunities surrounding Gen AI, specifically in relation to organisational and technical themes. The project also identified a wide range of use cases.
Gen AI has risen to prominence in the past few months, with extensive press and media coverage during 2023. While it’s now widely recognised and increasingly adopted, there does remain some hesitance around this technology. Regularly cited concerns include impacts on creative work and individual jobs, accuracy of information, security of commercial information or intellectual property, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. One of the issues in the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike concerned the use of AI.
However, several other sectors have committed to exploring how to utilise Gen AI for meaningful purposes. NASA, for example, has started to use this technology to design parts for its spacecraft. To do this, a worker enters a prompt that informs the system of the geometric data and physical specifications required for the design. The Gen AI tool then processes these inputs, compresses everything, creates the design, and, if needed, performs corrective actions. The result is viable, expertly crafted parts.
This is game-changing. Using Gen AI in this way offers significant benefits for the design process, including reducing the time needed to develop these parts.
Aviation has also developed a number of use cases to make the most of Gen AI. Here are just a few examples of how airline companies could use this technology:
to examine aeroplane sensor data and maintenance records, which could help predict possible issues and optimise repair schedules
to create personalised training scenarios for pilots-to-be and offer bespoke feedback on their performance
to enhance flight routes and improve fuel efficiency by examining prior data and weather patterns
to create custom travel recommendations for passengers based on trips they’ve taken in the past.
Experts have been experimenting with different elements of artificial intelligence for some years now, and the pace of development has been nothing short of astonishing.
What’s exciting is that many of the use cases outlined above are relevant and translatable to the rail industry. Not only could they support rail’s sustainability goals, but they could also improve driver training, passenger experience, and rolling stock development.
However, although already in use, more work is needed to fully understand the full range of advantages of Gen AI, especially because it’s still under rapid development. Leveraging this technology could revolutionise parts of the rail industry, but first, it will be key to identify where it can be put to best use and how to overcome the risks and concerns that currently accompany it.
Get in touch to learn more about Gen AI and what more it can do for the rail industry.
Contact us
