USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN THE ALLOTMENT OF PARKING SPACES

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the allotment of parking spaces to residents of multi-story
apartments has several challenges and problems. While AI has the potential to streamline the parking
allocation process, improve efficiency, and maximise space utilisation, there are certain issues that need to
be addressed to ensure fair and effective parking management. Some problems that hinder the use of AI
for parking allotment in multi-story apartments are:

Bias and Incomplete data: AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on. If the training data
used to develop the parking allotment algorithm is biassed or incomplete, it can lead to unfair parking
allotments. For example, if the historical data favours certain residents or discriminates against others, the
AI system may continue those biases.

Lack of transparency: AI algorithms used for parking allotment are not easily explainable or understandable.
In such a situation, residents may conclude that there is a lack of transparency, which can lead to distrust
among residents who are uncertain about how parking spaces are allocated and whether the system is
biassed or unfair. Transparent and interpretable AI models are necessary to build trust and ensure
accountability.

Insufficient data accuracy: Accurate and up-to-date data is crucial for effective parking management. What
if the data used to train the AI system is incomplete or inaccurate? For instance, if the system relies on
outdated information about resident parking preferences or fails to capture changes in occupancy patterns,
current inventory with vehicle size may result in inefficient parking allotment or inadequate utilisation of
available spaces.

Parking rules and constraints: Multi-story apartments have their own parking rules and constraints, such as
reserved spaces for specific residents and visitor parking. Incorporating these complex rules into an AI
system is challenging, especially if the rules are frequently changing. Failure to consider these constraints
accurately can lead to parking conflicts and inconveniences for residents.

System failures: AI systems can encounter technical limitations and failures, which can disrupt the parking
allotment process. Software glitches, hardware malfunctions, or network connectivity issues can result in
inaccurate or delayed parking assignments. Such disruptions can cause frustration among residents and
hinder the smooth functioning of the parking management.

To mitigate above problems, it is crucial to remove bias in the data used for training AI algorithms, ensure
transparency and explainability of the decision-making process among residents, regularly update and
verify data accuracy, and imbibe parking rules and constraints with justifications. Additionally, there should
be a procedure in place to address technical issues promptly and efficiently to minimise disruptions in the
parking allocations. There should be regular monitoring, evaluation, and user feedback to identify and
rectify any shortcomings in the AI-based parking management system, thereby bring more effectiveness
and fairness.
AI-based smart parking can help ease the process of finding a parking spot and also help manage parking
spaces better.