Duffy on AI replacing air traffic controllers: "That's not gonna happen"

CBS Evening News Transportation Secretary Duffy on concerns of AI replacing air traffic controllers: "That's not gonna happen" .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-evening-news.jpg'); } By Kris Van Cleave Kris Van Cleave Kris Van Cleave Emmy Award-winning journalist Kris Van Cleave is the senior transportation correspondent for CBS News based in Phoenix, Arizona, where he also serves as a national correspondent reporting for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms. Read Full Bio Kris Van Cleave Updated on: April 21, 2026 / 8:20 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google As the Department of Transportation begins the process of overhauling the country's air traffic control system — a $12 billion undertaking — there are already plans to integrate artificial intelligence into it in the future. Addressing fears that AI is meant to completely replace air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS News, "that's not gonna happen.""AI is a tool, but we do not replace humans in how we manage the airspace," Duffy said. "Am I gonna replace a controller and have AI manage the airspace? The answer to that is hell no, that's not gonna happen."What AI will do, according to Duffy, is help air traffic controllers move flights around to avoid delays by merging airline flight schedules with an FAA system."This software will say, 'Well, listen, we can see this 45 days out. Let's move some of those flights a little bit later, or five, seven, 10 minutes earlier, and we can resolve the issue. And so then you are not delayed,'" Duffy said.Through the Big Beautiful Bill last year, Congress gave DOT $12.5 billion for air traffic control system upgrade. But as the Transportation Department works to implement those upgrades in various systems throughout the nation's airports — which according to the department has already included replacing almost 50% of all copper wires, upgrading about 270 radio sites, installin...