In South Korea, airplanes can now be operated by AI robots

As someone who suffers a lot from fear of flying, this makes me very anxious. I see flying a plane as a separate profession, something not everyone can do. Admittedly: my ex was also a pilot and he turned out not to be the sharpest or most fun knife in the drawer, but that doesn't mean I judge all pilots the same. For example, I absolutely wouldn't trust myself behind the wheel of a Boeing 737. I can barely trust myself on a bike, let alone when you have hundreds of lives in your hands.

But maybe this is actually a good development: people can make mistakes — that's part of being ‘human’. Robots don't do that, as long as they are properly set up and don't experience short circuits or other errors. Maybe that's why they are the perfect pilots for airplanes? In South Korea, they certainly think so, as an AI robot has been developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) that can take over the work of a pilot.

Photo: Kaist

Photo: euronews

Take off, land, fly: this robot can do it all, equipped with human-like hands. You literally put this robot behind the wheel and then the pilots can have a very calm workday. This AI robot, named Pibot, can even handle the most severe turbulence and respond to unexpected events. It can communicate with air traffic control while it is flying the plane.

Okay, also a bit scary, I think. When I was at the Ziggo Dome listening to Barack Obama, he was asked what he was most afraid of at this moment. His answer? AI robots. Because they are going to surpass us. And if they can already start flying planes, it seems to be happening faster than I thought. No, I would still prefer a human pilot.

Source: Simple Flying