US government adopts algorithms to identify fraud in commercial licenses; in Brazil, the focus of technology is road safety
The United States government has announced a new technological offensive in the transportation sector, this time not to develop autonomous vehicles, but to supervise the humans who still drive them. The local Department of Transportation (DOT) has confirmed that it will use artificial intelligence and massive data analysis to identify companies that hire foreign drivers illegally.
The central objective of the measure is economic and labor: according to Steven Bradbury, undersecretary of the DOT, the practice of employing undocumented drivers or those with fraudulent licenses has “stolen lunch” from American truck drivers, putting downward pressure on the category’s wages. The technology will be used to scan licensing and employment databases, looking for fraud patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed by human inspectors.
The initiative is part of a broader deregulation package by the current US administration, which seeks to eliminate old rules while tightening enforcement on the legality of labor.
While in the US AI takes on the role of administrative “border police”, in Brazil the technology is already widely used, but with a focus on operational safety and accident prevention. This is because large national carriers have adopted active monitoring systems that work as a digital copilot.
Unlike the American model, which analyzes documents, the Brazilian application focuses on behavior inside the cabin. Cameras with computer vision monitor the driver’s face in real time to detect signs of fatigue, cell phone use or lack of seat belts.
JBS, through its TRS carrier, is one of the main examples of this application. The company has equipped about 1,500 trucks with sensors that emit audible alerts when identifying risky behaviors, such as using cell phones. According to recent data from the company, the system helped reduce fatigue alerts per kilometer driven in its fleet by 20%.
Another giant that invests heavily in technology is Raízen, the largest ethanol producer in the country. The company uses everything from smart glasses for pre-trip fatigue testing to advanced telemetry to monitor driving. On highways in Brazil, the agency is also already testing radars with AI capable of fining drivers who handle cell phones, reinforcing that digital siege is an irreversible and global trend.
