(upbeat music) Over the last few years, conversations around artificial intelligence or AI have grown.

From applications like ChatGPT writing just about anything you can think of to the recently showcased Sora that generates video from text, the uses for AI seem to grow daily, and that includes here in Michigan, in Detroit, at the Wayne State Computer Science Building, I spoke with professor of computer science Dr. Dongxiao Zhu whose goal is to use AI for social good.

Can you explain in, I guess, the simplest terms, what artificial intelligence is?

What are we talking about?

- Yeah, artificial intelligence is a sub-discipline of computer science.

So it's basically just help people, human beings, how to use computer to promote the productivity.

Artificial intelligence is artificial, not real, just to mimic some of the human actions like decision making.

But second is general intelligence, just behave, hopefully behave completely like a human.

- What are some of the AI applications that people have been using but may not realize it is indeed artificial intelligence?

- For example, you can use AI to schedule a meeting for you.

The companies can use the conversation agent to do the entry level customer service in the medical field so the AI can help to diagnosis and also prognosis.

Based on the images, the AI can automate the process to predict or whether there's a certain condition exist.

- Today, we hear mostly about the second generation of AI differentiated by its ability to think past simple yes or no decisions and complete tasks like summarizing entire books, generating creative works like images and video, or administrative paperwork based on what the user asks, which for today's workforce, can be both inspiring and frightening.

- Instead of being afraid of AI to take a job from the people, we should take it more positively, we should start thinking about how to use AI to help us, to promote the productivity and improving the outcomes.

- [Will] In response to a Civic Innovation Challenge award by the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, Dr. Xhu and his team are developing an AI tool to improve public transit operations and options for Detroiters.

The efficiency and accessibility of public transit, sometimes referred to as mobility, plays a critical role in moving people around Detroit.

- So in this case, I mean, mobility is one of the primary interests from public, right?

So how to move freely and safely, right?

Especially for the people with disabilities.

- [Will] The AI tool would enable the Detroit Public Transit Service to accommodate writers' needs by adjusting bus routes more.

It would also improve the availability of on-demand rides known as microtransit and paratransit rides for people with disabilities more effectively.

The AI tool would use foot traffic data to see where most people need and use public transit combined with information through an app to make sure more buses and rides are available and on time.

Rafi Ibn Sultan on Dr. Xhu's team shows us how the AI tool would also improve rider's ability to navigate what's called the last mile, which is the distance a rider has to travel to their destination after they've been dropped off by creating a detailed map of sidewalks using aerial images from sources like Google.

- What if people, they are to have like disabilities?

So they need like a pedestrian networks, like where the sidewalks are, where the crosswalks are, how I can cross the street.

- [Will] When we contacted the Detroit Department of Transportation, they said it's too early to comment on potential AI solutions to current transit needs.

While the current app does show where buses are and gives estimated arrivals, it doesn't help them run on time or make other transit options more readily available.

- So the AI play a role here to determine when and where to deploy these resources to move the people to where they want to go.

- [Will] AI technology is still an emerging field with new developments and potential applications cropping up daily.

- Well, obviously it's exciting, like we're in the front seat of a car which is going to the future, right?

So we're actually working on something that is being developed like every day.

If you go in the research community, you'll say like 10 or 15 papers per day because everybody's working on it.

- [Will] AI-enhanced public transit would be a game changer that has the potential to push Detroit further into the future.

AI for mobility is just one area of Dr. Xhu's research, and it's still in the prototype stage, but overall, he's cautiously optimistic about the future.

- My optimistic estimate is next five years, we can fully realize the AGI, artificial general intelligence.

So that means AI can behave exactly like a human being in terms of any many things, not anything, may things.