U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is reassuring the traveling public that a new AI tool designed to improve air traffic control operations doesn't pose a threat and will always be overseen by "a human."
Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford recently unveiled the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART).
The new AI tool centralizes dozens of data streams—including weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing metrics—into one platform to reveal a visualization of where planes are going, how much traffic the system can handle and where congestion or weather could cause challenges.
"It’s always going to be a human that manages the airspace in America. This tool won’t manage the airspace, but it gives us better information, better data to manage the airspace on behalf of the American people,” Duffy said during an event in Washington, DC on Monday.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, SMART's implementation will result in a number of key benefits such as fewer flight delays and cancellations, optimized airspace, more predictable operations and even lower ticket prices as airlines will waste less fuel, reduce staff overtime and see more planes arrive on time.
"(SMART) is going to help us provide a different experience for the American people. I want to be clear again: This has not been deployed anywhere in the world; America was the first in flight," Duffy added.
"We’re the ones that helped the world set up air traffic control, and we are again leading the world in new technology to bring more efficiency and a better experience to the American people," the DOT secretary said.
Duffy's remarks come amid widespread concerns about the emergence of AI and its potential impact on humanity. President Trump has downplayed the potential threat, calling it a hoax.
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