USDOT launches AI initiative to modernize nationwide transportation
On July 22, 2026, the U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) launched a new initiative to optimize and modernize the United States’ transportation system, which will use artificial intelligence (AI) to fundamentally transform how the nation builds, operates and maintains its physical transportation infrastructure.
USDOT’s challenge is a part of a broader, cross-agency effort with the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to reimagine the design, operation and resiliency of the nation’s physical infrastructure to lower costs, improve safety and increase efficiency.
“For the first time in history, we possess the computational power to treat our transportation network as a single, solvable mathematical equation,” said USDOT Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Seval Oz. “We are using advanced AI to lower costs and transform the lifecycle of physical transportation infrastructure. By leveraging generational leaps in science and technology, we will fortify our national transportation framework to optimize American mobility and drive economic dominance for generations to come.”
“We’re leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver a better travel experience for American families and stronger supply chains for businesses,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “This is another tool we can use to usher in a Golden Age of Transportation.”
