Artificial Intelligence

Analyzing AI

By Cat Hofacker

January 1, 2024

Nisar Ahmed, aerospace engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder

The elusive fully autonomous airliner

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.

ANALYSIS: Rise of the AI fighter pilots

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.

AI: how it’s delivering sharper route planning

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.

Applying AI to the right national security problems

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.