Modern airliners already fly much of each trip on automated systems, so it is natural to ask whether AI will soon remove the pilot altogether. It helps to separate two things: generative AI, the chatbots and assistants that most AI-and-jobs research measures, and the cockpit automation and autonomy that aviation has its own long history with.
The short answer: current evidence does not point to AI replacing pilots. The ILO's 2025 index classes aircraft pilots as not exposed to generative AI, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects much faster than average growth for airline and commercial pilots from 2025 to 2035. Whether more automated or pilotless flight changes this is a separate question, which these figures do not answer and this page does not predict. Projections can be revised.
Generative AI is not the same as autopilot
The ILO index measures exposure to generative AI: systems that produce text, images, code and similar output. It does not measure flight automation, autopilot systems or autonomous aircraft (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025). A low score means generative AI cannot do much of a pilot's work; it says nothing about when or whether aircraft will fly without pilots, which depends on technology, certification and regulation outside the scope of this page.
How exposed aviation jobs are to generative AI
The ILO Working Paper 140 (2025) rates every task in a job from 0 to 1 for how far generative AI could do it, then groups jobs into bands: not exposed, minimal exposure, and gradients 1 to 4, where 4 is the most exposed.
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | Minimal exposure | 0.31 |
| Aircraft Pilots and Related Associate Professionals | Not exposed | 0.27 |
| Travel Attendants and Travel Stewards | Not exposed | 0.22 |
| Travel Consultants and Clerks (for comparison) | Gradient 3 | 0.56 |
Flying, managing a crew and handling an emergency are physical, real-time and safety-critical tasks. The booking and office side of travel scores much higher.
What projections expect
The BLS projects overall employment of airline and commercial pilots to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 16,400 openings a year, many to replace workers who retire or change occupations. It expects airline pilot jobs to grow with demand for air travel, particularly leisure travel, and with freight activity from continued e-commerce growth, and continued demand for private chartered flights to sustain jobs for commercial pilots (BLS, airline and commercial pilots). The BLS also notes that airline and commercial pilots must have specific certificates and ratings from the Federal Aviation Administration.
For air traffic controllers, the BLS projects 2 percent growth, saying the satellite-based Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) allows individual controllers to handle more traffic (BLS, air traffic controllers).
Where generative AI shows up in aviation work
- Summarizing manuals, bulletins and briefing material.
- Drafting reports and routine paperwork after flights.
- Training support, such as practice questions and study material.
- Scheduling and crew communication tools.
- Answering passengers' routine questions on the airline side.
These mostly change the work around the flight, not the flying.
What stays with the pilot
- Command and responsibility for the aircraft and everyone on board.
- Handling the unexpected: weather, technical faults, medical emergencies and diversions.
- Crew coordination and communication with air traffic control.
- Monitoring automation and taking over when it does not behave as expected.
- Checking AI output: anything a generative AI tool summarizes from a manual or briefing can be wrong; NIST calls this confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
For pilots, generative AI is mostly arriving in training, paperwork and planning tools rather than in the cockpit controls. The job already combines flying with supervising automated systems, which is a long-standing example of human-in-the-loop work. Current projections point to continued demand for pilots, driven by travel and freight.
Read next: will AI replace truck drivers?, jobs least exposed to AI and will AI take my job?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for airline and commercial pilots at $210,020 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. Across the 2 BLS occupations this page covers, median pay ranges from $148,080 to $210,020. The typical education needed to enter differs between the 2 BLS occupations this page covers. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace pilots?
Not on current evidence. The ILO classes aircraft pilots as not exposed to generative AI, and the BLS projects 7 percent US growth for airline and commercial pilots from 2025 to 2035.
Does the ILO AI index cover autopilot or pilotless planes?
No. It measures exposure to generative AI, such as chatbots and assistants, not flight automation or autonomous aircraft.
How exposed are pilots to generative AI?
In the ILO 2025 index, aircraft pilots and related associate professionals score 0.27 and are classed as not exposed.
Will AI replace air traffic controllers?
The ILO places air traffic controllers in the minimal exposure band. The BLS projects 2 percent growth, as NextGen technology lets each controller handle more traffic.
Is becoming a pilot still worth going into?
US projections expect much faster than average growth and about 16,400 openings a year, many from retirements.