Blockchain and AI technology convergence: Applications in transportation systems

Abstract

The blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) have been the focal point of innovations and received increasing attention of the community over the last years. The blockchain technology is a distributed ledger of reliable digital records that are shared by the participating networks. AI, on the other hand, and its applications have been used for developing futuristic machines that are capable of having human-like intelligence. The use of both technologies in transportation systems has seen a tremendous growth that resulted in transformation of the transportation industry. Various modes of transportation, such as new transit systems, metro rails, high-speed rails, connected and automated vehicles, autonomous trains, and other emerging transportation modes (hyperloop, e-scooters, hoverboards), still face many challenges, including but not limited to economic issues, energy efficiency, social adoption, data privacy, lack of regulatory standards, reliability, security, and ethical issues. The use of blockchain and AI technologies has the potential to fill the technology gaps in transportation systems and effectively address the existing challenges. The convergence of both technologies is likely to yield significant advantages and provide a common distributed platform for data sharing, reliability, and decision-making. The present study is focused on understanding both technologies and their convergence in various industrial domains with a specific emphasis on transportation systems. A detailed state-of-the-art review of the relevant literature is performed to identify the main advantages and challenges in the applications of blockchain and AI in transportation systems and other related domains along with the ways to overcome these challenges. This study also reveals some critical future research needs for successful development and implementation of these technologies in transportation systems.