The FAA’s plan to fix air traffic? $875M worth of AI

美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）解决空中交通问题的方案：价值 8.75 亿美元的 AI

The Federal Aviation Administration has been struggling to manage an air traffic control shortage throughout the country. The reasons for the shortage are diverse, but the government has made it known that it’s on the lookout for innovative solutions to the problem. 美国联邦航空管理局（FAA）一直在努力应对全国范围内的空中交通管制员短缺问题。造成短缺的原因多种多样，但政府已明确表示，正在寻求解决该问题的创新方案。

One of those solutions appears to be an $875 million AI software program that is expected to help air traffic controllers manage their workflows and more safely navigate flight routes. The Wall Street Journal reports that the FAA will soon launch SMART, which stands for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories — an automated software program designed to help streamline air traffic operations. 其中一个解决方案似乎是一个价值 8.75 亿美元的 AI 软件项目，预计该项目将帮助空中交通管制员管理工作流程，并更安全地引导飞行航线。《华尔街日报》报道称，FAA 即将推出 SMART 系统，即“空域、航线和轨迹战略管理”（Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories）的缩写，这是一款旨在帮助简化空中交通运营的自动化软件程序。

A one-page readout on the program describes SMART as “a cloud-based platform system that enhances existing FAA air traffic management systems.” It adds that the program uses AI to assess “airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational constraints to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts before they occur.” 一份关于该项目的一页说明书将 SMART 描述为“一个基于云的平台系统，旨在增强现有的 FAA 空中交通管理系统”。说明书补充道，该程序利用 AI 来评估“航班时刻表、天气、机场容量、空域状况和运营限制，从而预测交通流量，并在潜在冲突发生前识别出它们。”

SMART, the product of a firm called Air Space Intelligence, will cost the government that amount over a 12-year period, the outlet writes. The software will roll out in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area first before expanding to other regions, it says. 该报道指出，SMART 是由一家名为 Air Space Intelligence 的公司开发的产品，政府将在 12 年内支付这笔费用。该软件将首先在华盛顿特区大都会区推出，随后扩展到其他地区。

Earlier this year, the FAA also announced a “bold, new” hiring plan that the agency said would “erase the longstanding staffing shortage,” and the government is separately engaged in a broad effort to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic systems. 今年早些时候，FAA 还宣布了一项“大胆的、全新的”招聘计划，该机构称此举将“消除长期存在的人员短缺问题”。此外，政府也在分别进行一项广泛的努力，旨在实现国家老旧空中交通系统的现代化。