At the AIC4NL Dutch AI Congress on April 23, 2025, in Utrecht, AI Compass partners Sascha Hoogendoorn-Lanser (TU Delft) and Jeroen Steenbakkers (Argaleo) shared insights on the growing impact of AI in the mobility sector. Their key message: AI can make services like crowd management more effective and cost-efficient—but the road to success is not without challenges.
From real-time traffic predictions and smart crowd management systems to digital twins supporting decision-making, AI-driven applications are rapidly becoming a reality. These innovations have the potential to greatly enhance and simplify work in the mobility domain. However, as Hoogendoorn-Lanser and Steenbakkers emphasized, they also raise important questions—especially about the changing roles and responsibilities of people working in the field. For example, how do we maintain human autonomy? Which tasks can be delegated to AI, and which should remain with mobility professionals? And how can trust in AI systems be built?
The Turnaround: More Than a Technological Shift
AI is not just a technological innovation: it signals a fundamental shift in how human tasks are understood and carried out. While AI can help improve performance, it must be deployed responsibly. With its leadership in mobility and smart city research, the Netherlands is uniquely positioned to help guide this transformation in a thoughtful and future-proof way.
Privacy-Conscious, Transparent, Traceable, Unbiased, and Ethical AI Tools
For both speakers, responsible AI is at the heart of the AI Compass mission. This multi-partner initiative is designed to ensure that AI tools for crowd management are not only powerful, but also privacy-conscious, transparent, traceable, unbiased, and ethical—with humans remaining in control at every step.
