Briefing: Is artificial intelligence the answer to infrastructure maintenance woes?

Maintenance has entered its artificial intelligence (AI) era. By processing and analysing huge volumes of trusted, reliable datasets, AI is unlocking insights that are significantly improving the way that our critical infrastructure is managed and maintained as well as informing reliability and demand-led investment decisions. In this article, ICE Fellow, David Philp, explains where and how AI is being put to work. He provides examples relating to highways, bridges and metros. He also explains why the need for a ‘superpower’ of this kind is so necessary due to factors including an ageing infrastructure asset base and the pressure being placed on our infrastructure from the impacts of climate change, increasing city populations and budget constraints. He concludes that, while AI will not eliminate infrastructure maintenance woes, it does provide the means for a huge leap forward in managing assets more intelligently, efficiently and proactively.