DALLAS — The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released the first version of its strategy to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) and make sure the nascent technology enhances operational integrity in the U.S. aviation industry.

Thus, with the release of the 31-page document, which sees a strong emphasis on training as a key component, the FAA has recognized the rapid advancement of AI and its potential to revolutionize aviation safety.

The comprehensive roadmap outlines strategies for ensuring AI's safe integration into aviation systems. This roadmap, informed by industry consultations and aligned with national AI policies, aims to safeguard and enhance aviation safety through the responsible use of AI.

Challenges, Opportunities, Strategic Areas

AI presents unique challenges in aviation due to its ability to learn and adapt rather than follow a traditional design process. The FAA acknowledges that rigorous safety assurance methods must be developed before AI can be widely adopted in aviation. These methods must address the unpredictable nature of AI systems, which differ significantly from conventional aviation technologies.

Guiding Principles for AI Safety Assurance

The roadmap is built on a set of guiding principles that will shape the development of AI safety assurance in aviation:

1. Work Within the Aviation Ecosystem: AI must be integrated into the current aviation safety framework, leveraging established processes and standards to ensure consistency and reliability.
2. Focus on Safety Assurance and Enhancements: The primary objective is to ensure AI's safety while exploring its potential to enhance overall aviation safety.
3. Avoid Personification: AI should be treated as a tool, not a human entity, to maintain clear accountability and avoid misconceptions about its capabilities.
4. Differentiate Between Learned and Learning AI: The roadmap distinguishes between static AI (learned) and dynamic AI (learning), as each poses different safety and operational challenges.
5. Take an Incremental Approach: The FAA advocates for a gradual integration of AI, allowing safety assurance methods to evolve with real-world experience.
6. Leverage Industry Consensus Standards: The adoption of industry-wide standards is crucial for global harmonization and the consistent safety of AI in aviation.

The roadmap identifies five key areas for action:

1. Collaboration: The FAA will work closely with industry stakeholders, international regulators, and government agencies to develop harmonized AI safety assurance methods.
2. FAA Workforce Readiness: The FAA will enhance the expertise of its workforce to oversee AI integration in aviation effectively.
3. Assuring the Safety of AI: Safety assurance methods will be adapted and developed specifically for AI, ensuring the safety of all AI systems used in aviation.
4. Using AI for Safety: AI will be leveraged to improve safety processes, from system development to real-time monitoring and testing.
5. Aviation Safety Research: Ongoing research will focus on developing and validating methods for AI safety assurance and exploring how AI can further enhance aviation safety.

Which AI is Best Suited for Aviation?

Generative AI and predictive AI are both AI systems that use prediction to produce outputs, but they have different purposes:

• Generative AI
• Creates new information, such as content, images, code, music, and marketing materials. It can also uncover patterns in data and translate data into different formats. Generative AI can be used to improve efficiency and customer interaction, and accelerate and improve tasks that are done slowly and manually. It's commonly used in fields like content creation, task automation, and business transformation.
• Predictive AI
• Analyzes patterns and uses that information to make forecasts and predictions about future events and outcomes. It can be used to make recommendations and decisions, and to provide actionable insights and accurate forecasts. Predictive AI is commonly used in fields like finance, healthcare, and retail, for example, to predict stock markets, diagnose patients, and understand consumer buying patterns. It can also help businesses identify fraudulent activities and protect against cyber threats.

Generative AI and predictive AI have different use cases and proficiency with structured and unstructured data. Of course, organizations will use the most suitable technology for each operational problem, rather than choosing between the two.

Our take is that the airline industry will most likely use predictive AI to "support flight operations, including dispatch, training and training simulators, and scenario prediction." Applications that leverage Generative AI could also "aid in document generation such as training manuals and Safety Risk Management (SRM) support.”

Bottom Line: Safety First

The FAA's roadmap for AI safety assurance is a forward-looking document that addresses the challenges and opportunities of AI in aviation to make sure it is a reliable tool for the industry.

By adhering to these guiding principles and focusing on collaboration, workforce readiness, and targeted research, the FAA aims to ensure that AI not only meets but exceeds the rigorous safety standards that have made aviation one of the safest modes of transportation.

The U.D. aviation authority says its AI roadmap will be periodically updated to reflect technological advancements and evolving safety assurance practices.