You’d probably notice if the car that cut you off or pulled up beside you at a light didn’t have a driver. In the UK, self-driving cars are still required by law to have a safety driver at the wheel, so it is difficult to notice them. But car companies have been testing automated vehicles on UK roads at least since 2017.

Self-driving cars use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to steer themselves and navigate around obstacles. But they aren’t the only use of AI in the streets today. This technology is being introduced in many different ways, for example in cameras that detect whether people are speeding or using mobile phones while driving.

As part of the AI in the street project, my colleagues and I at several UK universities studied how residents and visitors experience the presence of AI in public spaces.

While many of the people we spoke to were interested in what AI is used for in the street, they were more likely to notice the physical presence of the technology – feeling that all this equipment makes for a busy and cluttered environment. Some questioned the extent to which the technology makes things better for them.

Here are five places you might encounter AI in cities in the UK and not realise it.

In cities like Manchester, Coventry and York, some roads have been equipped with a technology called Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (Glosa) as part of real-world technology trials. This system is designed to nudge cars to reduce their speed........

© The Conversation