Three of the nation’s leading transportation research institutes have launched a joint effort to help public transportation agencies use artificial intelligence effectively as the technology advances at a pace many agencies struggle to match. The National AI Consortium for Transportation, or NAICT, brings together the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the University of California Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute into a national research initiative intended to give agencies a credible, noncommercial resource for evaluating, deploying and governing AI in real-world operations.

The consortium’s founders argue that the timing matters. The AI tools available to transportation agencies today did not exist two years ago, and many will be outdated two years from now, according to the announcement. New models, products and vendor promises arrive every month, each claiming to make roads safer, freight move faster or infrastructure last longer. For the public agencies responsible for those systems, the organizers say, the hardest question is no longer whether to use AI but which tool fits which problem, how to use it well, and how to tell a proven solution from a polished sales pitch.

“NAICT is designed to give agencies and industry a single, credible, noncommercial resource for evaluating, deploying and governing AI in real-world transportation operations,” said UMTRI Director Henry Liu. “We need to have a guided discussion to help shape what AI is and what it can do in safe, responsible and effective ways.” Liu co-leads the consortium with Scott Moura, director of Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology, an ITS Berkeley research center, and Greg Winfree, director of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

The consortium emphasizes that it is not being built behind closed doors. NAICT is inviting state and local transportation agencies, industry, professional organizations and researchers to get involved now, starting with listening sessions this fall and a panel and workshop at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in January 2027. A UC Berkeley listening session and workshop is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2026, where transportation leaders and practitioners will have an opportunity to share the AI challenges they face and identify the resources and support they need to move forward.

At the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in January 2027 in Washington, D.C., NAICT plans to host a panel and interactive workshop bringing together experts from research, industry and policy to explore safe and effective AI deployment. In early 2027, the consortium intends to introduce its first educational offerings and a draft AI governance framework. Agencies and partners who engage early will have opportunities to review and help shape those resources before their broader release. “We’re moving fast, and we’d rather build this with agencies than for them,” Liu said. “If you’re responsible for putting AI to work on public roads, we want you in the room. Come find us at TRB.”

Subject of Research: A new national research consortium helping transportation agencies adopt and govern artificial intelligence

Article Title: Navigating AI in transportation: New national research consortium aims to guide agencies

Article References: Navigating AI in transportation: New national research consortium aims to guide agencies. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: Not provided

Keywords: artificial intelligence, transportation, research consortium, University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, Texas A&M, public agencies, governance, Transportation Research Board, infrastructure, Navigating, national