Experts and Policymakers Explore AI's Role in Mobility: Shaping the Future of Transportation

Top industry leaders, experts, and policymakers gathered at the "Innovation for Mobility" event during Automechanika Dubai to explore technologies shaping a smarter, cleaner, and more connected transportation future in the Middle East and global markets.

During the expo's opening day, Lucas Loustau, a consultant at Kearney, examined how artificial intelligence is redefining the mobility sector. He drew insights from a newly released report titled "Envisioning the Future of AI-Powered Mobility" — a joint study between the Advanced Mobility Institute, part of Kearney's foresight network, and MIT's mobility initiative.

The research, based on insights from over 50 transportation companies worldwide, highlights the most promising AI applications in transport. It shows opportunities for industry players to improve performance and operations while assessing the broader value AI can deliver to both the transportation sector and society as a whole.

For investors and companies in the mobility space, this research matters because it maps out where the industry is heading. AI isn't just about self-driving cars anymore. It's being used to optimize traffic flows, predict maintenance needs, and make public transport more efficient. Companies that understand these applications early can position themselves better in a rapidly changing market.

Loustau identified four main categories of "supply-side" players in the transportation ecosystem: policymakers, infrastructure developers, transport service operators and original equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and players in the financial and technology sectors.

The Middle East has been investing heavily in smart city initiatives and transportation infrastructure. The UAE, in particular, has been testing autonomous vehicles and implementing AI-powered traffic management systems. This makes events like Automechanika Dubai important for understanding how global AI trends will play out in regional markets.

What's interesting here is how the study brings together perspectives from both established transportation companies and tech innovators. This cross-industry collaboration is becoming more common as traditional transport companies realize they need tech expertise to stay competitive.