AI is being used to resurrect the voices of dead pilots
AI was used to recreate the voices of deceased pilots from a UPS plane crash, prompting the NTSB to temporarily restrict access to its docket system. The agency is reviewing how a spectrogram file in the public docket allowed for the audio reconstruction.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) temporarily restricted public access to its docket system after discovering AI-recreated voices of deceased pilots from a UPS plane crash circulating online. This incident highlights growing concerns about the misuse of AI in sensitive contexts. The NTSB is prohibited by federal law from including cockpit audio in its public dockets.
However, the docket for the UPS Flight 2976 accident included a spectrogram file. A spectrogram converts sound signals into an image, and a YouTuber pointed out that audio could potentially be reconstructed from such data.
Indeed, individuals reportedly used AI tools, along with publicly available transcripts and the spectrogram, to approximate the cockpit voice recorder audio.
Following the discovery, the NTSB restored public access to most of its docket system but kept 42 investigations, including the one for Flight 2976, closed for further review. This situation underscores the challenges of data privacy and the responsible use of AI in accident investigations.
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