Duffy: AI to support controllers in FAA modernization, not replace them

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said artificial intelligence will form part of the FAA's push to modernize air traffic control. Early on, he said, the technology will only feed information to controllers — it will not run operations on its own.

Speaking Tuesday at a dinner held by a national artificial intelligence association, Duffy called the rollout gradual, phased in as the agency replaces radar, radios, voice switches and other aged equipment. "We are building all new equipment — whether it's radar, radios [or] voice switches," he said, adding that AI would enter the airspace slowly.

Weather is one example. Controllers could get extra information from the technology, which might help them route around or through weather and move traffic more efficiently, he said. His remarks came as the FAA works through a broader modernization effort involving new software and automation. The agency has already contracted a company for software and AI tools for its Air Traffic Control System Command Center.

Controllers stay in charge, Duffy said, with decisions driven by tools that inform them rather than by the most complex AI. The systems the Department of Transportation is considering, he said, are not the same as the general-purpose AI models that have drawn scrutiny over safety and oversight.

The program carries a significant cost. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told lawmakers this week that phase one is expected to run about $16 billion, above the $12.5 billion Congress has already appropriated for modernization and facility construction. The agency is also seeking more money for the next stage of the overhaul.