Newsom announces AI-driven efforts to help state reduce traffic jams, improve road safety

LOS ANGELES -- Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled three new artificial intelligence-based projects that promise to improve government efficiency and help solve the state's traffic problems.

"Gen AI is coming to traffic management in this state in a way that doesn't exist in any other state in America," Newsom said at a news conference in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday.

Back in 2023, Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to use AI to make state government work faster and even more effective.

Newsom now says the state has entered into three new deals to use artificial intelligence to reduce highway congestion, improve roadway safety and enhance customer service in a state call center.

And unlike President Donald Trump's DOGE campaign that is firing thousands of federal workers, Newsom says his plan adds artificial intelligence not to pare back the number of state workers, but to give them the tools to make them more efficient.

"The announcement we're making today was done in partnership with state workers and employees," Newsom said. "They're celebrating it because we're not doing things to them, we're doing things with them.

"Employees can start to iterate and choose what they want, learn how these technologies can aid and advance their work to make them more productive, to make them happier and to provide more choice and more voice for customers and users."

The AI-based projects unveiled promise to streamline the state's DMV offices and help clear up traffic bottlenecks.

"Two to three months will turn into two to three days of work once we start to use the generative AI tools to help us identify the problems more uniquely and come up with solutions to address those traffic congestion points," California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin said.

And next time you call a California tax office with a complicated filing question, the call center worker will now be using AI to find answers quicker and shorten the process.