CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — A large sinkhole that appeared on Chattanooga’s Northshore after last month’s historic flooding is just the latest example of roadway problems that are causing concern for drivers.

But a new study looks to use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict where these sinkholes will appear before they do any damage.

“It’s pretty hard to go about a week without hearing somebody talking about something going wrong with the road.”

According to the American Geoscience Institute, sinkholes can have both natural and artificial causes.

However, they tend to occur in places where water can dissolve bedrock, making Tennessee one of the more sinkhole prone states in the country.

Brett Malone, CEO of UTK’s research park, says…

“Geological instability, the erosions, we have a lot of that in East Tennessee, and so a lot of unsteady rock formations underground just create openings that then eventually sort of cave in.”

Sinkholes like the one on Heritage Landing Drive have become a serious headache for drivers in Tennessee.

Nearby residents say its posed safety issues for their neighborhood.

Now, UTK says they are partnering with tech company TreisD to find a statewide solution.

The company’s AI technology could help predict where a sinkhole forms before it actually happens.

“You can speed up your research. So since we’ve been able to now use AI for 3D images, it means we get to our objective and our goals much faster.”

TreisD founder Jerry Nims says their AI algorithm uses those 3D images to study sinkholes in the hopes of learning ways to prevent them.

“If you can see what you’re working with, the experts, and they can gain more information, more knowledge, and it’ll help them in their decision making.”

We asked residents in our area, like Hudson Norton, how they would feel about a study like this in our area.

“If it’s helping people and it can save people, then it sounds like a good use of AI, and responsible use of it, more importantly.”

Chattanooga officials say the sinkhole on Heritage Landing Drive could take up to 6 months to repair.