AI Is Learning to Pilot Airplanes, and Aviation Is Beginning to Adopt It.
Merlin says the system has completed hundreds of test flights as it works toward Federal Aviation Administration certification and a $100 million Air Force contract.
- At Quonset State Airport in Rhode Island, Boston-based Merlin conducted an AI pilot demonstration with test pilot Matt Diamond keeping his hands off controls throughout takeoff, flight, and landing on runway 34 despite crosswind conditions.
- Airlines worldwide face a growing pilot shortage as Boeing estimates carriers will need more than 600,000 new pilots over the next two decades, while aviation safety officials confront increasing pressure on an already strained air traffic control system following recent high-profile accidents.
- Merlin CEO Matthew George told CNN that 80% of aviation accidents stem from human error, while the Merlin Pilot system uses natural language processing to interpret air traffic control instructions and respond via computerized voice, handling far more than traditional autopilot.
- A more than $100 million Air Force contract positions the company's technology for eventual deployment on C-130 cargo planes, providing a major proving ground as Merlin pursues certification from the Federal Aviation Administration with standards among the strictest in transportation.
- Pilot unions representing more than 79,000 pilots insist AI should support rather than replace crews, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promotes AI tools to modernize aging air traffic control as part of the Trump administration's broader push, though industry experts acknowledge significant trust-building remains necessary.
14 Articles
14 Articles
AI Is Learning to Fly Planes: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Artificial intelligence is moving from the airport terminal to the cockpit, with aviation companies exploring systems that can automate pilot tasks now, and support fully autonomous flight later. Apparently, AI could make […] The post AI Is Learning to Fly Planes: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? first appeared on The Expose.
La IA está aprendiendo a pilotear aviones y la aviación empieza a adoptarla
Por Pete Muntean, CNN La pequeña avioneta Cessna Caravan acelera por la pista y asciende en el aire, mientras el piloto que está a mi lado mantiene las manos fuera de los controles. “A ver qué tal se mueven esas manos”, bromea Tim Burns, director de tecnología de la startup Merlin Labs, por el intercomunicador del avión desde un asiento trasero. En este vuelo, el piloto de pruebas Matt Diamond, sentado a mi izquierda, no controla el avión en abs…
By Pete Muntean, CNN. The small Cessna Caravan accelerates down the runway and climbs into the air, while the pilot next to me keeps his hands off the controls. “Let’s see how those hands move,” jokes Tim Burns, chief technology officer of the startup Merlin Labs, over the plane’s intercom from a seat in the back. On this flight, test pilot Matt Diamond, sitting to my left, isn’t controlling the plane at all. Many of the usual piloting tasks are…
The little Cessna Caravan accelerates along the runway and takes off, while the pilot at my side keeps his hands away from the controls. Let's see those hands free, plays Tim Burns, technology director of the startup Merlin Labs, through the intercom of the plane, of a rear seat. On this flight, test pilot Matt Diamond, sitting on the left side of me, is not controlling the plane at all. Much of the normal flying tasks is being performed by arti…
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