As self-driving vehicle experiments are launched in a few cities around the United States, Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler AG and a prominent auto supplier are launching a new one in the place that would seem most receptive: Silicon Valley.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning for both automated container port management and trucks and ships is already in use or under development in a few key ways.

Self-driving shuttle buses will be hauling riders around downtown Columbus later this year, a significant move as the city begins initiatives aimed at making it a “smart city” for transportation.

Autonomous technology will be among the topics to be examined at the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee meetings scheduled for July 30-31, federal trucking regulators announced.