Tim Clark, Emirates president, says we “might” see one-pilot aircraft in the long run.
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Because the aviation sector starts to embrace artificial intelligence, planes flying with only one pilot are a possibility, in keeping with Emirates President Tim Clark.
“You would possibly see a one-pilot aircraft,” Clark told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble Tuesday, but said it’s going to likely take a while to come back to fruition — and won’t necessarily be what passengers want.
“[Passengers] wish to think there are two pilots up there,” he added.
As the dimensions and power of artificial intelligence rapidly increase, it is crucial that the aviation sector takes a step back and assesses the difference it could make, Clark said, adding: “Harness it, use it. Don’t fear it.”
“Numerous persons are concerned about what AI should and should not be doing … but when you’re in business and you have something as powerful as this coming along and also you’re very processes driven, manpower intensive, you have to take time to have a look at what this might do to enhance what you do,” he said.
With reference to completely pilotless planes, Clark said it was possible but a great distance off, adding that he didn’t think this may occur during his lifetime.
“Could the aircraft be flown on a completely automated basis? Yes it could, technology is true up there now, [but] there’ll at all times be someone on the flight deck for my part,” Clark added.
The autonomous aircraft market is currently in its infancy, although a couple of start-ups are focused on developing pilotless planes for the long run.
