How Will Self-Flying Aircraft Make Ethical Choices?

Experts weigh in on how electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis will fly autonomously and how aircraft controlled by artificial intelligence/machine learning systems might respond during life-and-death situations.

Thom Patterson

Monday, February 28, 2022 at 05:02 PM ET

Verified

Perhaps as soon as 2035, aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) systems will have to perform aeronautical decision-making functions—and make ethical choices previously reserved only for humans. [Courtesy: EASA]

Key Takeaways:

The aviation industry is developing fully autonomous eVTOLs, aiming for AI/ML systems to handle complex aeronautical decision-making and ethical dilemmas typically reserved for human pilots.
A key challenge is programming AI to make real-time ethical choices in critical, "trolley problem"-like emergency scenarios where no ideal solution exists, going beyond current deterministic systems.
Developers are addressing this by creating predictive flight systems, advanced detect-and-avoid capabilities, and rule-based automation (often with human oversight), alongside exploring "ethical ordering" for programmed decision hierarchies.
Regulatory bodies like EASA and the FAA are developing roadmaps and ethical guidelines for AI integration, focusing on accountability, safety, and rigorous testing methods such as digital twinning to ensure trustworthiness.

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It’s no secret that many companies developing electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis eventually plan to fly their fleets autonomously—with no pilot on board to guide aeronautical decision making (ADM). Eventually, experts believe the machines that will pilot these aircraft will be capable of learning and making difficult ethical choices previously reserved only for humans.

For example, let’s imagine the year is 2040. You’re a passenger in a small, autonomous, battery-powered air taxi with no pilot flying about 3,000 feet over Los Angeles at 125 mph. Air traffic is crowded with hundreds of other small, electric aircraft, flying and electronically coordinating with each other, allowing very little separation. Suddenly, an alarm goes off, warning about another passenger aircraft on a collision course. But amid heavy traffic, there are no safe options to change course and avoid the oncoming aircraft. In this scenario, how would a machine pilot know what action to take next?