Look to the skies for KM opportunities

Calling all KM’ers

Hopefully, you can see that these developments have all the hallmarks of a unique and exciting opportunity for KM, especially on the regulatory and air traffic control fronts. Refer back to the scenario illustrated in the video. There are many moving parts to be tracked and managed (wind and weather, fuel consumption, air traffic). Dots to be connected (type of aircraft, terrain, population density). Critical decisions to be made (taking the safest route vs. one that consumes less time/fuel). And lots of learning, both individual and organizational, every step of the way. (Several recent airline disasters were caused by insufficient/incorrect training.)

Then there’s the inevitable demand for more automation, from the flight planning and clearance process to the operation of the air vehicles themselves. No human or group of humans could possibly keep track of so many constantly changing variables. Automation, including AI, will play an increasingly important role, while keeping human decision makers in the loop.

Meanwhile, back on good ol’ terra firma, a similar frenzy is taking place with self-driving electric vehicles. And just in case you haven’t heard, Ford Motor Co. was recently awarded a patent that allows self-driving cars to be repossessed by driving away from owners who haven’t kept up with their payments. But let’s save that for a future article …