A year-long investigation conducted by Stanford University in the U.S. has revealed how the application of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) systems could influence the lives of people living in urban cities in North America by the year 2030.

Called "Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030", the new report is part of the One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence which focuses on eight different domains: Transportation, healthcare, education, entertainment, smart home robots, public safety and security, low-resource communities, and employment.

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"We believe specialized AI applications will become both increasingly common and more useful by 2030, improving our economy and quality of life," said Peter Stone, a computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin and chair of the panel of international experts. "AI technologies can be reliable and broadly beneficial," said Barbara Grosz, a computer scientist at Harvard and chair of the AI100 committee. "Being transparent about their design and deployment challenges will build trust and avert unjustified fear and suspicion."

The report reveals that in 2030, self-driving cars - including trucks, aerial vehicles, and personal robots - would be moving about in the city on their own as AI systems become more and more intelligent. "Special purpose robots" would also help people deliver packages, clean their houses and act as security guards.

In the public safety and security domain, AI systems will be used to improve camera and drone technologies for surveillance. They could also be used to assist doctors in medical procedures and surgeries and support operations in the hospital. This means certain jobs that require repetitive tasks may no longer exist in the future. However, AI may still create new types of jobs while reducing the cost of numerous goods and services.

"But this technology will also create profound challenges, affecting jobs and incomes and other issues that we should begin addressing now to ensure that the benefits of AI are broadly shared," Stone said. "Until now, most of what is known about AI comes from science fiction books and movies," Stone added. "This study provides a realistic foundation to discuss how AI technologies are likely to affect society."