For years, there have been shortages of air traffic control personnel, leading to delays and congestion. To remedy these troubles, the Federal Aviation Administration and the US Department of Transportation are turning to a new tool: AI.
On Monday, these agencies announced that they’re beginning a trial of the new system, called Strategic Management of Airspace Routes and Trajectories, at three airports around the nation's capital – Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
This $875 million software overhaul is not a replacement for human air traffic control operators, the DOT said, but is intended to reduce pressure on personnel by predicting delays and cancellations, and providing recommendations to the humans who retain control over flight operations.
Margaret Wallace, an assistant professor of aviation management at the Florida Institute of Technology, said meaningful action is necessary to address the aging air traffic control infrastructure, and calls to modernize the system have been ongoing – yet unanswered – for years.
While SMART is an important first step, she says, it "does not eliminate the human element," and controllers need to remain at the forefront of every stage of implementation.
"If implemented carefully, however, the technology behind this initiative has the potential to begin a significant transformation in the efficiency and modernization of the US air traffic system," Wallace said in an email.
It may be alarming to read "artificial intelligence" and "air traffic management" in the same sentence. So let's unpack what this system actually is before deciding to never get on another flight again.
Each day, the FAA manages close to 45,000 flights in the US. Even slight delays, changes in weather conditions, and reroutes can lead to airspace congestion and overcapacity. SMART was designed to centralize 200 data streams of flight paths, wind, weather, staffing metrics and more into one platform for a comprehensive overview of what's happening in the sky and on the ground at airports for better management of these flights.
From this consolidated data, human controllers can "anticipate demand, weather and airspace constraints and plan hours, days and even weeks ahead," according to the press release.
The US DOT says these measures are to upgrade "the FAA from a reactive approach to a predictive one."
“By fundamentally reshaping how we manage our airspace and preventing problems before they happen, SMART will slash those frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers and lower travel prices,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.
Will it actually help? It's too early to tell, and the union representing air traffic controllers said it was not involved in the program's development.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement it "believes any new technology should complement and not replace the experience, training and professional judgment of air traffic controllers who are responsible for the safety of the National Airspace System."
The system was built by a company called Air Space Intelligence, an aerospace and defense AI company based in the US that has already partnered with the US Air Force, major US airlines (Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines) and the Department of Defense.
In the press release announcing the rollout of the air traffic management system, CEOs from top airlines, including United, Delta, American and Southwest, expressed encouragement over the initiative.
Still, air traffic experts emphasize the importance of remaining cautious as this new system rolls out.
"My biggest initial concern is controller training and human-factors integration," Wallace said. "That is not necessarily a criticism of this particular system; it is a challenge that comes with introducing any significant new technology into a complex, safety-critical environment.
"FAA leadership will need to ensure that implementation and testing are deliberate, that controllers receive adequate training and that appropriate safeguards remain in place throughout the transition," she said.
The FAA plans to gradually expand SMART to other airports across the country.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Tomahawk on Monday September 28, @04:10PM (2 children)
I accidentally rerouted you to Paris. This is on me. I'll ensure I don't do that again!
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Monday September 28, @06:17PM
If only, chances are that the plane would run out of gas and the AI wouldn't notice.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by krishnoid on Monday September 28, @06:43PM
Oh, I think we're in for a lot more of this [parcelsapp.com] (scroll to the bottom and read upward) in multiple venues. In this case maybe the intermediate post office was full so they just started circulating the package around the country, but that seems like cold comfort [uspsoig.gov].
(Score: 4, Informative) by Common Joe on Tuesday September 29, @02:38AM
The word "AI" is pretty synonymous now with "LLM", but for decades that wasn't the case.
In the article, they never specify what kind of AI they're talking about. If they want to roll out an LLM, then they're ... oh, how do I put this politely? They're fucking idiots. (That may have been a bit too polite.) AI companies roll out new LLM models every 2.57 hours -- on average. If they want to train air traffic personnel on models that give radically different (and unreliable) answers, then they are fools indeed.
However, if they are going to use one of the more traditional AI models, then that could be very helpful. The problem being, of course, that they are advertising the "AI technology" because they want to politically ride the AI train and somehow think they'll be impressing instead of terrifying the passengers.
And who are "they"? [Checking the summary and links in the summary] They are not the union of the air traffic controllers (because they had no clue this was going to happen) and therefore not the air traffic controllers. They are certainly aren't the public.
"They" are Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. They are Donald Trump. They are FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. They are United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. They are Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian. They are American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. They are Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan.
Well, with all these relevant details that have been given out to everyone in the announcement, I'm definitely confident that this will work properly and is safe to use.
(Score: 2) by SomeGuy on Tuesday September 29, @12:14PM
Somehow I'm imagining hojillions of singing toilet-heads flying though the air and randomly smashing in to skyscrapers. And an empty control room with a chocolate cake at the center sporting a single candle. Yet somehow everyone will be OK with that because "AI".
At this point it is safe to assume that any "AI" story that does not give specifics on when. where, and why "AI" is being used, is just a lie designed to keep the bubble inflated.