Artificial intelligence opens new window on complex urban issues

Understanding the workings and behaviors of a city requires knowledge of the different processes that allow people and other biological organisms to live and thrive, as well as understanding of their interrelationships--many of which are complicated and have yet to be deeply explored. "Cities are immensely complex, with many facets and interactions within them," said Pete Beckman, a computer scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. "For instance, weather influences human movement; air quality affects long-term health; and availability to transportation helps determine opportunities ranging from employment to social interaction. What we need is a new generation of methods and tools that can help us find relationships hidden within the growing volume and diversity of data that are being collected about cities." Central to these methods is machine learning--the increasingly potent process by which computers train to make predictions or determinations from large quantities of data. Machine learning has revolutionized many parts of our lives, from the game of chess to facial recognition systems, and it is now coming to our cities.