By Aaron Karp and Ben Iannotta
November 1, 2024
U.K. researchers are in the midst of Project Bluebird, a multiyear effort to create competing versions of artificial intelligence agents to see if one could in theory be capable of autonomously controlling air traffic. Aaron Karp and Ben Iannotta spoke to researchers about their plans to conduct live trials in the safety of a digital twin of the airspace.
By Cat Hofacker
July 1, 2024
David Salvagnini, NASA’s chief AI officer
By Keith Button
June 1, 2024
Editor’s note: NASA announced on July 17 that it intends to cancel the VIPER rover program. The launch readiness date had slipped to September 2025, the agency revealed, and it cited “risks of future cost growth.” The lander that was to carry VIPER is now targeted for launch in late 2025.
By Cat Hofacker
May 1, 2024
By Cat Hofacker
March 1, 2024
By Cat Hofacker
January 1, 2024
Nisar Ahmed, aerospace engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder
By Jon Kelvey
October 1, 2023
Contrary to what some passengers believe, modern airliners are not permitted or equipped to travel from gate to gate entirely on their own. Their automation software does well during cruise and landing, but it can’t taxi the aircraft or learn or think through a crisis the way a human pilot can. What would it take to get there? Jon Kelvey tells the story.
By Moriba Jah
October 1, 2023
By Moriba Jah
September 1, 2023
May 1, 2023
As powerful as artificial intelligence is, don’t expect a sophisticated collection of bits and bytes to replace Top Gun’s Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the cockpit anytime soon. Air combat is both art and science. An air autonomy expert, a fighter pilot and a computer scientist explain how the future of uncrewed combat aircraft could unfold.
By Debra Werner
March 1, 2023
By Karen Kwon
February 1, 2023
Planning a passenger aircraft’s route has historically been a manual process for the specialists in airline operations centers. Now some dispatchers have a new tool: Artificial intelligence software that can rifle through weather, flight congestion and other data faster than a person can. This could be a timesaver, not just for dispatchers but for the flying public. Karen Kwon tells the story.
July 1, 2022
Leaders in the U.S. national security enterprise are intrigued by artificial intelligence. Capitalizing on this groundbreaking computing technology will require firsthand knowledge of needs and discipline in deciding which of those AI can meet. MITRE Corp.’s Eliahu “Eli” H. Niewood explains.
By Ben Iannotta
August 24, 2021
