Trash is strewn next to Radio Beach in Oakland, Calif., on May 30, 2023. On Tuesday, city officials approved a pilot program that will allow drones to help identify hot spots for illegal dumping in Oakland.

Oakland is turning to artificial intelligence to hunt down one of its most visible problems, sprawling piles of trash illegally dumped across the city.

On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council approved a six-month pilot program that will allow AI-powered drones to sweep across the city and locate illegal dumping. District 1 councilmember Zac Unger, who helped spearhead the initiative, told SFGATE that the council also approved increasing dumping fines. (Currently, fines reach up to $1,500 for three-time offenders.)

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The $150,000 program will use drones from Aerbits, a San Francisco AI startup, to fly over areas of the city at about 120 feet and locate piles of abandoned trash, according to city documents. The drones will cover 1,440 linear road miles during the pilot program throughout 72 scheduled flights, according to the City Council’s presentation. 

The drones will not be used for enforcement........

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