People Team AI Ask about a date

How exposed to AI is a Air Traffic Controller?

Of the 23 tasks O*NET lists for air traffic controllers, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 9 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS)Air Traffic Controller (ATC)Center Air Traffic Controller (Center ATC)Certified Professional Controller (CPC)Control Tower OperatorEnroute Air Traffic Controller (Enroute ATC)Radar Air Traffic ControllerTerminal Air Traffic Control Specialist (Terminal ATC Specialist)Tower Air Traffic Controller (Tower ATC)
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
23
tasks rated for this occupation
22%
hold a degree, from a survey of 50
21k
people do this job in the US
4 of 52
least protected in transport

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Only with software built on top

14
  • Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems
  • Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions
  • Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights
  • Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties
  • Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references
  • Contact pilots by radio to provide meteorological, navigational, or other information
  • Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement
  • Check conditions and traffic at different altitudes in response to pilots' requests for altitude changes
  • Relay air traffic information, such as courses, altitudes, or expected arrival times, to control centers
  • Compile information about flights from flight plans, pilot reports, radar, or observations
  • Organize flight plans or traffic management plans to prepare for planes about to enter assigned airspace
  • Review records or reports for clarity and completeness and maintain records or reports, as required under federal law
  • Complete daily activity reports and keep records of messages from aircraft
  • Analyze factors such as weather reports, fuel requirements, or maps to determine air routes

Cannot be sped up

9
  • Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations
  • Monitor or direct the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety
  • Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land
  • Direct ground traffic, including taxiing aircraft, maintenance or baggage vehicles, or airport workers
  • Determine the timing or procedures for flight vector changes
  • Initiate or coordinate searches for missing aircraft
  • Provide on-the-job training to new air traffic controllers
  • Inspect, adjust, or control radio equipment or airport lights
  • Conduct pre-flight briefings on weather conditions, suggested routes, altitudes, indications of turbulence, or other flight safety information
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.