ASI, maker of AI tool SMART, says FAA outage not caused by its system, products or integration with FAA and ATC
| Source: Techmeme | Original article
ASI, creator of the AI tool SMART, says the FAA's current ground stop is unrelated to its system, products, or integration with the agency.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s nationwide ground‑stop on air traffic this week has sparked speculation that its AI‑driven decision‑support tool, SMART, might have been involved. ASI, the company behind SMART, issued a brief statement on X saying the outage “is not based on or a result of the SMART system, any product of ASI, or our integration with FAA and ATC.” The clarification comes as the FAA works to restore normal operations after the unexpected halt.
The incident matters because SMART, an artificial‑intelligence assistant that advises air‑traffic controllers on congestion management, has been positioned as a flagship example of AI improving safety‑critical infrastructure. Earlier this month we reported that the FAA had expanded SMART’s use across the United States, signalling confidence in the technology’s reliability. Any hint that the system could cause a system‑wide shutdown threatens that confidence and could prompt regulators to reassess the pace of AI integration in aviation.
What to watch next are the FAA’s findings on the root cause of the ground stop and whether they confirm ASI’s denial. Stakeholders will be looking for any formal investigation reports, potential adjustments to SMART’s deployment schedule, and statements from other aviation bodies about the role of AI in air‑traffic management. The episode also raises broader questions about transparency and accountability for AI tools operating in high‑stakes environments, likely fueling debate in both industry circles and policy forums.
Sources
Back to AIPULSEN