Will pilots be replaced by AI?
Updated
Airline pilots score 32 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 56%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 6% outright, and 38% stays with people.
- 6% AI can do it
- 56% AI helps
- 38% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Lower than 59% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 24 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 13 and leaves 9 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Record in log books information, such as flight times, distances flown, and fuel consumption. Logbook entries are largely pulled from aircraft data automatically. | 80% AI can do it |
| File instrument flight plans with air traffic control to ensure that flights are coordinated with other air traffic. Flight plan filing is structured data entry, largely automatable with review. | 70% AI can do it |
| Plan and formulate flight activities and test schedules and prepare flight evaluation reports. AI can draft evaluation reports and schedules; a person approves. | 60% AI helps |
| Check passenger and cargo distributions and fuel amounts to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met. Weight and balance software computes loads; crew verifies against manifests. | 50% AI helps |
| Confer with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters to keep abreast of flight conditions. AI can summarize weather and NOTAMs; live conversation stays human. | 50% AI helps |
| Choose routes, altitudes, and speeds that will provide the fastest, safest, and smoothest flights. Flight planning software optimizes routes; pilot approves final choices. | 50% AI helps |
| Steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers. Autopilot and flight management already steer; pilot supervises and intervenes. | 45% AI helps |
| Brief crews about flight details, such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities. AI can draft briefing packs; delivering the briefing stays in person. | 40% AI helps |
| Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights. Automated systems already monitor engines; AI adds diagnostic support. | 35% AI helps |
| Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights. AI can suggest reroutes and fuel options; captain makes final decisions. | 35% AI helps |
Show the other 14 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Make announcements regarding flights, using public address systems. Scripted announcements can be drafted and voiced; live delivery stays human. | 35% AI helps |
| Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed. Automated gauges already track this; pilot keeps control and accountability. | 30% AI helps |
| Instruct other pilots and student pilots in aircraft operations and the principles of flight. AI can support ground school; flight training needs in person demonstration. | 30% AI helps |
| Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions. AI can support checklists and reports; live emergency decisions stay human. | 25% AI helps |
| Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air traffic control and inform crew members of flight and test procedures. AI can draft procedure summaries; live coordination with ATC stays human. | 25% AI helps |
| Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor. Instrument flying is physical and safety critical; AI helps little. | 15% Needs a person |
| Conduct in-flight tests and evaluations at specified altitudes and in all types of weather to determine the receptivity and other characteristics of equipment and systems. Test flying needs hands on controls; AI helps only with data. | 15% Needs a person |
| Evaluate other pilots or pilot-license applicants for proficiency. Proficiency checks need live observation and certified examiner judgment. | 15% Needs a person |
| Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures. Physical piloting of aircraft; automation exists but certified crew stays accountable. | 12% Needs a person |
| Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment. Live voice radio with ATC is regulated and time critical. | 12% Needs a person |
| Direct activities of aircraft crews during flights. Live crew leadership and command decisions remain with the captain. | 12% Needs a person |
| Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings. Live teamwork with crew during takeoffs and landings stays human. | 10% Needs a person |
| Perform minor maintenance work, or arrange for major maintenance. Hands on repairs are physical; arranging maintenance is partly administrative. | 10% Needs a person |
| Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists. Physical walkaround inspection; AI only checks logbooks and records. | 8% Needs a person |
How airline pilots compare
All occupations (923)
Transportation and material moving (52)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $232,140 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 103,560 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +8.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Hold a Federal Air Transport certificate and aircraft type rating
- Walk around the aircraft for pre-flight defect inspection
- Check weight and balance against passenger and cargo manifests
- Review AI-drafted evaluation reports in Microsoft Word before sign-off
- Verify AI weather and NOTAM summaries against official briefings
- Hold live radio clearances with air traffic control
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about airline pilots and AI
Will AI replace airline pilots?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours for an airline pilot go to tasks AI can already do, led by logbook entries and flight plan filing. What stays with people is flying the aircraft, live radio with air traffic control, and the command decisions the captain makes.
Will AI take over pilot jobs?
AI can already do 6% of the task time in pilot and speeds up another 56%. People still do 38% of it. The US has 103,560 airline pilot jobs, with a projected change of +8.3% from 2024 to 2034.
Which tasks will AI take over for airline pilots?
Logbook entries and flight plan filing lead the list, with exposure scores of 80 and 70. Aircraft data can fill in flight times, distances, and fuel consumption automatically, and flight plan filing is structured data entry that AI can prepare for a pilot to review. AI can also draft flight evaluation reports, which a pilot approves.
Which airline pilot tasks stay human?
The walkaround inspection, crew teamwork during takeoffs and landings, and live radio with air traffic control stay with the pilot, each scoring 8 to 12 on exposure. The walkaround needs a person physically at the aircraft, and AI only checks logbooks and records. Voice clearances from air traffic control are regulated and time critical, so a pilot speaks them live.
How can airline pilots stay valuable with AI?
Keep the Federal Air Transport certificate and aircraft type rating current, and hold the walkaround inspection in your hands, using AI records only as a cross-check. Check AI-built weight and balance figures against the manifest, verify weather and NOTAM summaries against the official briefing, and edit AI-drafted evaluation reports in Word before you sign them.
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