Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been transforming everything from healthcare to transportation to manufacturing globally. America has long been a leader of AI and the US Administration has been active in developing policies and implementing strategies that accelerate AI innovation in the U.S. for the benefit of the American people.
“UAS present opportunities to enhance the safety of the American public, increase the efficiency and productivity of American industry, and create tens of thousands of new American jobs,” read President Donald J. Trump’s statement in a press release.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAV) segment of AI has developed in leaps and bounds. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao was involved in to establishing an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) integration pilot program (IPP) under a signed a Presidential Memorandum from President Trump On October 25, 2017. This directive, which the President signed into law with the 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, resulted in Secretary Chao announcing the creation of the UAS IPP to develop and safely test the further integration of UAS in a select number of States, local and tribal jurisdictions, two weeks later.
Over the following months, the Federal Aviation, Administration (FAA) considered over 2,500 interested parties, with more than 300 state, local, and tribal governments participating with the aim of contributing to the UAV industry.
On May 10, 2018, Secretary Chao announced the selection of ten program awardees, from all over the continental United States and Alaska. These awardees were authorised to conduct a range of novel and innovative UAS operations, including pairing drones with 5G test networks, eradicating pestilent mosquito populations, and delivering life-saving medical equipment in emergency situations. The new regulatory framework would be formed on the basis of data gathered from these pilot projects.
In May 2018, The White House hosted the Artificial Intelligence for American Industry Summit to discuss the policies needed to maintain U.S. leadership in the age of AI. The summit became a confluence point for more than 100 senior government officials, technical experts from top academic institutions, heads of industrial research labs, and American business leaders who were interested in adopting AI technologies to benefit their customers, workers, and shareholders.
With the aim of integrating drones safely into the national airspace system FAA announced proposed new rules in January 2019 to allow drones to fly at night and over people without waivers under certain conditions. FAA also announced the Unmanned Aircraft System Safe and Secure Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This proposal identified major drone safety and security issues that might pose a threat to other aircraft, to people on the ground, or to national security. It is soliciting recommendations to reduce these risks as drones are fast being integrated into the national airspace.
The FAA has established the UAS Data Exchange, a collaborative approach to facilitate the sharing of airspace data between government and industry. This has facilitated shortened processing times for airspace authorizations for UAS operators already. NASA released Version 1.0 of the UTM Concept of Operations in May 2018 and continues development of a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system in coordination with the FAA.