Traffic police harness AI to optimize traffic flow

Chengdu, a metropolitan in southwest China renowned for its chronic traffic congestion, is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) technology to address its long-standing traffic issues. As of June 2024, Chengdu, had surpassed Shanghai and Beijing to become the city with the highest number of vehicle registrations in China, intensifying the challenge of keeping traffic moving smoothly, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Public Security.

To address the issue, the city’s traffic police are leveraging cutting-edge technology to optimize urban traffic flow. Traffic lights, widely recognized by experts as one of the most cost-effective tools for managing urban traffic, are at the heart of this effort. With a few clicks, controllers can detect congestion using live camera feeds, verify conditions, and adjust signal timings based on their expertise.