The Better the Autopilot, the Worse the Pilot
julienreszka.com
Automation doesn't make operators more careful. It makes them forget how to be. The more reliable the system, the less ready the human.
  • BillyClark@piefed.socialEnglish
    1·
    2 hours ago

    The argument for automation is that it frees up cognitive bandwidth. Fewer routine decisions means more headroom to think carefully about the ones that matter.

    This second sentence being false is the premise of the article, and the author is correct inasmuch as that goes.

    But freeing up cognitive bandwidth is a secondary reason for automation at best. It’s a way of selling the concept of automation to the public.

    The primary reasons are truly to stop the human from doing things.

    Specifically for airplanes, which are the subject of the article, the ideal for airlines, who are the ones actually buying these planes, is for the pilots to do nothing at all so that the airlines can pay them less and eventually get rid of the position altogether.