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London, Singapore test AI in air traffic control

Jul 11, 2025, 6:51am EDT
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An air traffic control tower in Marseille
Manon Cruz/Reuters

Singapore and London, two of the world’s most congested airspaces, are testing artificial intelligence air traffic control systems.

Air traffic controllers are notoriously overworked, having to monitor thousands of flights a day and frequently forced to rely on decades-old technology.

The aviation industry is exploring the use of AI — which does not get tired and can pay attention to several inputs at once — to monitor aircraft. However, using AI would raise legal and ethical questions, such as who is responsible for accidents, Scientific American reported.

ATCs are under particular scrutiny after January’s crash in the US capital between an airliner and a military helicopter, which killed 67: Experts believe human error played a role.

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