EASA issues concept paper addresses AI challenges in aviation

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has released Artificial Intelligence (AI) Concept Paper Issue 02: Guidance for Level 1 & 2 Machine Learning Applications, a significant step towards the development of EASA’s AI Roadmap 2.0.

This latest issue addresses the challenges of deploying AI in aviation. It expands on Level 1 AI (Human assistance) applications, deepening the exploration of ‘learning assurance,’ ‘AI explainability,’ and ‘ethics-based assessment’ as foundational concepts of the ‘AI trustworthiness framework’. Moreover, it introduces guidance for Level 2 AI-based systems, giving flesh to the groundbreaking concept of ‘human-AI teaming’ (HAT) and highlighting the need for new human factors guidance to ensure safe Human-AI Interaction (HAII).

The EASA AI concept paper marks the entry of the EASA AI Roadmap into its second phase (framework consolidation), where Rulemaking Task (RMT).0742 will facilitate the integration of the anticipated guidance from the AI concept paper into a comprehensive framework of generic rules and acceptable means of compliance (AMC). These rules and AMC are precisely tailored to accommodate the unique requirements of each aviation domain impacted by these new technologies.

Overall, this new AI Roadmap deliverable underscores EASA’s commitment towards a future where AI and ML are integrated in aviation’s successes. This vision is not just about technological advancement, but mainly about building trust in AI applications, ensuring they complement human expertise and enhance overall aviation safety and sustainability.

Access the paper here