Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents itself as a promising technology to improve the efficiency and safety of air traffic control. It has a lot of potential in this context, and could give us a big hand, but it must be kept away from the "button room" while maintaining the full role of human flight controllers. For some it's obvious, for others it's not.
AI and air traffic control: an alliance for the safety of the future
Let's start with the pros: AI can support human flight controllers in several ways:
- Data analysis: it can analyze huge volumes of historical data to identify traffic patterns, predict congestion and optimize flight paths.
- Automation: it can automate repetitive tasks such as data entry and routine management, freeing flight controllers to focus on more complex tasks.
- Decision support: it can provide air traffic controllers with predictive information and suggestions to optimize traffic flow and prevent potential accidents.
AI in air traffic control can also lead to several advantages in terms of safety, as mentioned, reducing the risk of human errors and improving their predictive capabilities. And we stop here. At the moment (and for me, for a long time yet) he cannot and must not do anything else.
Because human flight controllers must maintain control
Despite its advantages, AI has some incredible shortcomings when it comes to flight traffic control.
- Lack of judgment and adaptation: AI cannot handle unexpected situations or make quick decisions in complex contexts such as those encountered in air traffic control.
- Difficulties in teamwork: AI is currently absolutely unable to communicate and collaborate with pilots and other flight controllers as a human would.
- Ethical implications: they are always underestimated, but in this case they are precisely the greatest limitation. The use of AI in air traffic control covers several issues, such as accident liability and data privacy.
An example scenario
An airliner carrying 200 passengers is en route to its destination. During the flight, the plane's automation system begins to malfunction. The system provides the pilot with incorrect information about the aircraft's altitude and position, creating a dangerous situation.
Intervention of human flight controllers:
The air traffic controller, noticing the anomaly in the automation system, immediately contacts the pilot. The human controller, thanks to his experience and judgment, is able to:
- Identify the nature of the problem: understands from the analysis of the inconsistencies that the flight automation system is providing incorrect information to the pilot.
- Provides precise instructions to the pilot: The controller guides the pilot through a series of instructions to correct course and land safely. Staying within the correct language for communications, he speeds up and shortens the steps to match the severity of the situation.
- Coordinates the intervention of other bodies: The human controller alerts all emergency services and coordinates their intervention to land the plane.
Potential harm caused by AI:
If AI had been solely responsible for air traffic control in this scenario, the consequences could have been dramatic:
- Problem identification: AI may not be able to distinguish a system failure from human error or a natural event.
- Incorrect instructions to the pilot: The AI could provide the pilot with instructions based on incorrect data from the automation system, exacerbating the situation.
- AI may not be able to coordinate the intervention of other entities: AI may not be able to communicate with emergency services or coordinate their response effectively.
In a scenario like this, only an expert human controller may be able to resolve a dangerous situation caused by a malfunction of the flight automation system. AI can be a valid tool to support air traffic controllers, but it is not yet capable of completely replacing them. The presence of human controllers is fundamental for the safety of air transport, especially in complex and unexpected situations.
The future is hybrid: AI at the service of human flight controllers
It is likely that in the future hybrid work model (which we also talked about here) we will see a scenario in which AI will support the work of human air traffic controllers, who will continue to play a fundamental role in the safety of air transport. AI can give controllers the tools they need to make better, faster decisions, helping to make the skies a safer place for everyone.
To learn more:
- National Academies website: https://www.nationalacademies.org/
- FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) website: https://www.faa.gov/
- National Center for Advanced Air Mobility and Sensors (CAAMS): CAAMS: https://www.nsf.gov/
Questions for discussion:
- What are your thoughts on the future of air traffic control?
- How do you believe AI can be used to improve the safety and efficiency of air transport?
- What are the ethical implications of using AI in air traffic control?
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