For Our Complex Future, Don’t Give Us AI, Give Us Intelligent Assistance (IA): The Case for Avionics

Abstract

Complexity is everywhere and its progression isn’t weakening. AI, ML, DL, CC, IOT, QC (AI: Artificial Intelligence ∙ ML: Machine Learning ∙ DL: Deep Learning ∙ CC: Constant Connectivity ∙ IOT: Internet of Things ∙ QC: Quantum Computing), … all these barbaric acronyms are already spreading through our daily lives with debatable success. Everyone owns those wonderful fine pieces of equipment (Smartphone, Smart TV, connected appliances, even our basic PCs, … the list goes on and on) that we use without really mastering them. When they perform, we perform (most of the time), but whenever anything goes wrong we become helpless facing a void of incomprehension where we unsurprisingly fail. These technologies can suddenly turn daft, obscure and counter intuitive because their inherent (usually hidden) complexity surface to our interaction. If the situation is critical, consequences can be extremely severe. Pilots can also be in such situation where they have to face the critical emergence of hardly manageable complexity. It’s becoming common in HF related incidents or accidents, where we have the classic: “Pilots didn’t understand what the system was doing and the system never got the pilots intentions”.