ICAO - Implementing Artificial Intelligence In The Aviation Network

Created on 19.02.2019 09:04

ICAO - Implementing Artificial Intelligence In The Aviation Network

As technologies continue to advance, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play bigger roles in our futures. This might be concerning to some, but it is a part of our lives. AI has already been incorporated in many industries; the aviation industry has already successfully implemented the early stage of automation in daily flight operations with flight management systems (FMS) or autopilot.

With the limited capacity of airspace and aerodromes, the aviation industry is faced with the challenge of accommodating surging air traffic demands. New kinds of flight operations, such as drones, commercial space travel and the personal air vehicles of the future, are making the problem even more difficult.

Safety is one of the key features in this industry. Aviation is the safest mode of transportation, given that the industry demands the highest level of safety standards and risk management. The validation process for machine intelligence had to be rigorous, so not all early attempts were successful. It had to be proven that AI operates safely; is interoperable with the current system; supports the human-centric system; and is applied through smooth and stable transition with globally harmonized manner. The key to achieving well-guided AI is to establish a human-machine coexisting environment, where the machine becomes a ‘sidekick’ that supports humans, instead of being a prospective ‘rival’.

In our previous AI article we illustrated an optimistic view of AI implementation in aviation. But we have many challenges to overcome. We do not fully understand what AI is capable of, and how AI will impact the industry. Concern is growing that AI would bring new opportunities as well as new problems, just as historically, other inventions have. Moreover, in considering the huge impact will have on our society, we need to work together to achieve common goals, and not represent the interests of individuals or corporations. The ‘positive use of AI for all’ is an emerging topic, with AI helping people lead enhanced lives and helping to accelerate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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