Artificial Intelligence in the Aviation Industry: A Qualitative Research on Pilot Experiences
by HAVADER Editör Ekibi
One of the most common questions about AI entering our lives is: "will this technology take my job, or make it easier?" That question is very much alive for pilots sitting in the cockpit too. This study seeks an answer by asking exactly that, directly, to 28 pilots.
The aim was to analyze the state of AI applications in aviation from the perspective of the pilots actually working alongside this technology. Data collected through a semi-structured interview form — covering demographic questions on gender, age, education, role, and experience, plus 11 interview questions — was analyzed with content analysis in MAXQDA 2022.
The findings paint a balanced, realistic picture: most pilots view AI as a useful, convenient technology, citing concrete benefits like reduced workload, faster access to information, better planning, cost and time savings, fewer human errors, and faster, more accurate decisions. But there's also a clear caveat: they stress AI needs to be used carefully and under control, watching for skill erosion and complacency. Most pilots don't expect difficulty adapting to it.
What this study contributes is pulling the AI conversation out of the binary of abstract "fear of the future" versus "miracle technology that solves everything," and instead showing the balanced, nuanced view of actual users. An everyday analogy: it's similar to a doctor using an AI-assisted screening system when making a diagnosis — the system offers a useful second opinion, but the doctor still makes the final call and knows not to trust it blindly.
In the end, this research shows that AI integration's success in aviation depends less on the technology itself than on the role the people using it choose to give it: a supportive tool, or an authority that replaces human judgment?
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The aim was to analyze the state of AI applications in aviation from the perspective of the pilots actually working alongside this technology. Data collected through a semi-structured interview form — covering demographic questions on gender, age, education, role, and experience, plus 11 interview questions — was analyzed with content analysis in MAXQDA 2022.
The findings paint a balanced, realistic picture: most pilots view AI as a useful, convenient technology, citing concrete benefits like reduced workload, faster access to information, better planning, cost and time savings, fewer human errors, and faster, more accurate decisions. But there's also a clear caveat: they stress AI needs to be used carefully and under control, watching for skill erosion and complacency. Most pilots don't expect difficulty adapting to it.
What this study contributes is pulling the AI conversation out of the binary of abstract "fear of the future" versus "miracle technology that solves everything," and instead showing the balanced, nuanced view of actual users. An everyday analogy: it's similar to a doctor using an AI-assisted screening system when making a diagnosis — the system offers a useful second opinion, but the doctor still makes the final call and knows not to trust it blindly.
In the end, this research shows that AI integration's success in aviation depends less on the technology itself than on the role the people using it choose to give it: a supportive tool, or an authority that replaces human judgment?