Human mobility, AI assistants, and urban emissions: an insidious triangle

Transportation remains a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with a substantial proportion originating from road transport and passenger travel in particular. Today, the relationship between transportation and urban emissions is even more complex, given the increasingly prevalent role and the pervasiveness of AI-based GPS navigation systems such as Google Maps and TomTom. While these services offer benefits to individual drivers, they can also exacerbate congestion and increase pollution if too many drivers are directed onto the same route. In this article, we provide two examples from our research group that explore the impact of vehicular transportation and mobility-AI-based applications on urban emissions. By conducting realistic simulations and studying the impact of GPS navigation systems on emissions, we provide insights into the potential for mitigating transportation emissions and developing policies that promote sustainable urban mobility. Our examples demonstrate how vehicle-generated emissions can be reduced and how studying the impact of GPS navigation systems on emissions can lead to unexpected findings. Overall, our analysis suggests that it is crucial to consider the impact of emerging technologies on transportation and emissions, and to develop strategies that promote sustainable mobility while ensuring the optimal use of these tools.