AI’s up! Are you surfing the wave, caught in the rip tide or still sat on the beach when it comes to artificial intelligence?

This is a human-written perspective paper on artificial intelligence (AI). We are all in a global AI experiment that has exciting prospects and questionable ethics. Wherever you look, professionals seem to be trying to make sense of what this means for our future and what to do. The paper offers the reader a journey through: unpacking terminology; examining the state of play; sharing views gathered from (transport) professionals; and contemplating the outlook for AI’s impact on professional life (and beyond). Much of the literature referred to is less than two years old at the time of writing. Things are changing around us, with considerable flux and uncertainty. The paper characterises AI and its take-up using a surfing analogy. Some professionals are surfing the wave. Some are at risk of being caught in the rip tide. Some are still sat on the beach, not sure about getting in. Organisational lifeguards are needed to reassure and encourage people into the water as they learn to surf together, knowing help is on hand if needed, with uncertainty about future water conditions. This may very well be a ‘Kodak moment’ for the transport sector and society as a whole. The paper contributes insights into what those on the receiving end of this wave of technological innovation are experiencing and feeling – and in turn provides a view on a least-regrets approach to preparing ourselves for the uncertainty ahead.