The phrase ‘autopilot’ is used ubiquitously these days. Most often, it refers to executing a sequence of actions without really thinking about them, rather than its official meaning: the automatic control of steering of a ship or aerospace vehicle. While this tends to make ‘autopiloting’ seem simple and straightforward, replacing the complicated decision-making of a pilot with a machine is no easy task. The EU-funded E-PILOTS project will explore the possibilities of intelligent cognitive computing assistants for pilots, with a focus on the benefits of an interdependent symbiotic relationship rather than a replacement or separation of tasks to improve reliability and performance.
