AI and Data Governance Lower Barrier to Entry for Digital Twins
- Digital twins combined with artificial intelligence and graph technology are shifting from simple visual simulations to predictive platforms that forecast operational challenges and project what-if scenarios in real...
- Modern digital twins ingest large volumes of data and run advanced analytics to help organizations forecast challenges before they disrupt physical operations.
- Graph technology contextualizes relationships between disparate data points to drive this evolution.
Digital twins combined with artificial intelligence and graph technology are shifting from simple visual simulations to predictive platforms that forecast operational challenges and project what-if scenarios in real time. InformationWeek reported that organizations and municipalities are increasingly using these enhanced models to analyze data sets before making critical changes to real-world infrastructure.
Graph Technology And AI Drive Predictive Digital Twins
Modern digital twins ingest large volumes of data and run advanced analytics to help organizations forecast challenges before they disrupt physical operations. Bettina Tratz-Ryan, research vice president at Gartner, stated that the technology has evolved significantly over the past two or three years. With analytics and AI, a digital twin becomes a true
Tratz-Ryan explained to InformationWeek.what-if
scenario. It can forecast or project challenges as you go. With graph technology, it can provide substantial resolution to complex issues,
Graph technology contextualizes relationships between disparate data points to drive this evolution. While earlier versions of digital twins relied heavily on basic sensor data from the internet of things, current iterations use embedded AI assistants and computer vision to automate data collection and analysis. According to Tratz-Ryan, organizations that previously struggled to connect geographic information services data with operational insights can now combine multiple data sources to increase the power of their models.
City Of Raleigh Expands GIS And Drone Integration
The city of Raleigh in North Carolina started its digital twin project more than 10 years ago using Esri geographic information services software to map built environments like sidewalks, parking spots, and property lines. Jim Alberque, GIS and emerging technology manager for the city of Raleigh, noted that his predecessors embedded GIS into nearly every municipal business process to create a comprehensive view of the city.
More recently, Raleigh integrated sensor data from devices such as traffic cameras to achieve higher-resolution imagery and richer digital modeling. Jeff Dawson, technology and analytics manager for the City of Raleigh Municipal Government, told InformationWeek that the municipal team uses drones to capture visual data such as before and after images of park renovations.
Strong Data Governance Ensures Digital Twin Credibility
Maintaining accurate existing conditions in a rapidly changing city remains a core operational hurdle for municipal teams. Alberque pointed out that when a physical building no longer matches its digital twin, the credibility of the model comes into question. To minimize project complexity, Tratz-Ryan emphasized that organizations must establish strong data governance and understand precisely where their data is generated before launching a digital twin.
Complementing those requirements, Data Fusion Services supports this discipline by connecting source systems, normalizing fields, and binding live context to twin entities. Dawson added that harmonizing disparate data sources like drone images and Lidar into a single model remains a significant technical challenge for Raleigh’s analytics team.
You need to not only have data governance, but need to understand where the data is generated.
Bettina Tratz-Ryan, Gartner
Cities Use Digital Twins for Traffic and Climate Modeling
Tratz-Ryan explained that traffic management serves as a primary entry point because congestion reduction and signal adjustments carry clear economic value. Building management and regional resilience initiatives represent additional starting points for municipal chief information officers.
Tratz-Ryan noted that climate modeling allows researchers to project the effects of higher temperatures on public spaces, pedestrians, and parking infrastructure. Meanwhile, Raleigh plans to expand its municipal digital twin applications into broader transportation planning.