Transportation Secretary Duffy on concerns of AI replacing air traffic controllers: "That's not gonna happen"

Source: CBS News

Updated on: April 21, 2026 / 8:20 PM EDT


As the Department of Transportation begins the process of overhauling the country's air traffic control system — a $12 billion undertaking — there are already plans to integrate artificial intelligence into it in the future. Addressing fears that AI is meant to completely replace air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS News, "that's not gonna happen."

"AI is a tool, but we do not replace humans in how we manage the airspace," Duffy said. "Am I gonna replace a controller and have AI manage the airspace? The answer to that is hell no, that's not gonna happen."

What AI will do, according to Duffy, is help air traffic controllers move flights around to avoid delays by merging airline flight schedules with an FAA system.

"This software will say, 'Well, listen, we can see this 45 days out. Let's move some of those flights a little bit later, or five, seven, 10 minutes earlier, and we can resolve the issue. And so then you are not delayed,'" Duffy said.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/air-traffic-control-ai-software-sean-duffy/