I chose my ethical topic around the implementation of AI in aviation operations. The EASA recently did a survey exploring aviation professionals’ views of AI ethics- and Airport Industry News highlights the optimism, and caution, about AI’s expanding role in aviation (2025). The study, conducted during EASA’s 2025 AI Days event, gathered insights from ~200 professionals, evaluating their comfort, trust, and acceptance across eight hypothetical AI scenarios. The average trust score was 4.4 out of 7, showing moderate acceptance but clear reservations. Nearly two-thirds of participants rejected at least one scenario, mainly due to concerns about system reliability, data privacy, accountability, and safety (EASA, 2025). Another common theme was the risk of de-skilling; the fear that overreliance on AI could erode human expertise over time. Most respondents also supported stronger regulation and oversight to ensure AI is implemented safely and ethically.

     These results reinforce a central truth: ethical behavior is non-negotiable in aviation:. Safety depends on trust; between people, systems, and now, increasingly, AI. Ethical responsibility means ensuring transparency, accountability, and respect for privacy at every stage of AI adoption. For most of us, that includes maintaining situational awareness, questioning AI outputs when something feels off, and staying competent even as automation expands. More importantly, EASA’s findings don’t signal rejection of AI- they highlight a healthy caution. Professionals see AI’s potential for improving safety, efficiency, and predictive maintenance, but they want assurance that human oversight remains central. Embracing AI ethically means combining innovation with integrity, ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces human judgment. AI’s future in aviation looks promising- but only if we integrate it responsibly. 


-Austin


References

Airport Industry News. (2025). EASA releases research survey on AI ethics in aviation. https://airportindustry-news.com/easa-releases-research-survey-on-ai-ethics-in-aviationLinks to an external s

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). (2025). Ethics for Artificial Intelligence in Aviation – Survey Results 2025. https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/general-publications/ethics-artificial-intelligence-aviation

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Happy Hunting

The USAF's 53rd Wx Recon Squadron had a busy hurricane season- logging 927.9 flight hours across the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and central Pacific basins (Losurdo, 2025). With 13 named storms this year, I can personally relate to how taxing that many hours, especially turbulent, that takes on the body.  I served as a dropmaster in the USCG from 2014-2017, where storms became more frequent with each passing year. We saw 8 in 2014, 11 in 2015, 15 in 2016, & 17 in 2017 (NWS, n.d.). Although the number of flights/hours/etc. changes from service to service; busy hurricane seasons take an enormous amount of additional hours & schedule flexibility to support 24/7 operations. But how do hurricane's even happen? The rising ocean temperatures cause the air above to heat up; creating low pressure. This pocket of low pressure rises above the cooler air around it until condensing into a cloud, which raises the hot air even higher. This cycle of condensing/expanding happens in oppos...
Read more

Fake IDs in our Airports

  Fake IDs in Our Airports The use of fake IDs are an emerging threat in the aviation sector, posing significant risks to both security and passenger safety. As more individuals exploit counterfeit IDs to gain access to airports or board flights, the challenge grows for security personnel to quickly and accurately identify fraudulent documents. Fake IDs can be used by malicious actors attempting to bypass security measures, potentially enabling them to smuggle prohibited items or gain entry to restricted areas. Aviation security employs multiple layers to mitigate this threat, ranging from identity verification to screening procedures. According to the TSA, these layers include the use of biometric scanning, ID checks by trained security personnel, and advanced technology, such as facial recognition and document verification systems (TSA, 2025). By cross-referencing government databases, security systems can flag discrepancies, reducing the likelihood of fake IDs going undetect...
Read more