Autonomous Systems and Social Acceptance
August 2, 2023 | AUVSI Advocacy
Day Two of the FAA Drone Symposium, co-hosted by AUVSI and the FAA, kicked off with a morning plenary session on Autonomous Systems and Social Acceptance. The session featured Deb Sanning, FAA Deputy Regional Administrator; Brendan Groves from Skydio, Taylor Lochrane, the Deputy Director for Science and Technology at DOT; Lauren Haertlein from Zipline; and Margaret Nagle from Wing.
The speakers looked at the impact of autonomy and AI, human/machine interaction, and strategies for gaining public trust in autonomous systems.
Groves began with a discussion on how in the aviation sector, we’ve been in the midst of an AI revolution for some time. “Automation is making a meaningful impact in worker safety, right now,” he said. He pointed to the 30 state DOTs that currently use drones for bridge inspection, cutting time and costs, and keeping civil engineers out of dangerous situations.
The panel continued with a discussion on the safe and responsible use of AI and robotics. Groves pointed to two guiding principles for promoting responsible robotics: first, that companies have an obligation to mitigate potential misuse of their products, and second, that governments should be the final arbiter of appropriate conduct.
Nagle pointed to the Mid Atlantic Aviation Partnership’s set of best practices: Educate, Listen, and Respond. When drone companies reach out to communities where they operate, they can cultivate buy-in, foster connections and dialogue, and address potential concerns.
Panelists agreed that there is a shared responsibility to ensure these systems are deployed in a way that is respectful of the communities they serve. Haertlein pointed to the need to engage stakeholders at all levels, not just FAA and civil aviation authorities, but also mayors and community boards.
The session finished with a discussion of how automation and societal acceptance go hand in hand. Automation enables scale, and scale allows the widespread value to be seen by communities and allows them to get excited about it. As Nagle said, “To reach widespread social acceptance, we’ll have to automate and scale.”
