Our infrastructure systems are undergoing a sea change. We need AI to point the way

COVID-19 has transformed how we travel, work and live. As we emerge from the pandemic, our transport, energy and internet patterns will again undergo a seismic shift, and so will the infrastructure systems that underlie them: our roads, railways, water supply, electrical grids and telecommunications. To plan and optimise these systems, operators need to forecast future usage. Forecasting energy demand and renewable energy generation, for instance, can help operators to avoid unnecessary use of fossil fuels. Artificial intelligence (AI), and more specifically machine learning (ML), can play a crucial role in making these forecasts, helping to guide the evolution of our infrastructure systems.