Key facts
- Lawmakers requested the FAA pause its new AI air traffic management tool.
- Concerns include lack of safety evaluation and testing reports.
- Training for aviation safety personnel on the tool is also a concern.
- The tool, SMART, was deployed on September 21 at three airports.
- The lawmakers are urging Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford to pause the rollout.
More than two dozen U.S. lawmakers have urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to pause the use of a new artificial intelligence tool designed to assist air traffic controllers in the Washington D.C. area. The lawmakers, including Representatives April McClain Delaney, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Don Beyer, expressed concerns in a letter regarding the lack of safety evaluation and testing reports, as well as insufficient training for aviation safety personnel on the new system.
The FAA launched the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART) tool on September 21 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The lawmakers are calling on Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford to halt the rollout until their questions about safety testing, implementation, and oversight are addressed.
Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Beyer highlighted that the tool was launched without sufficient consultation with air traffic controllers and safety experts, emphasizing that there is "zero margin for error" in air traffic control. Congressman Mfume also stressed the need for public transparency and answers regarding the testing and evaluation of the AI system, particularly in light of past air safety concerns in the region.