Advanced automation and AI-based solutions present tremendous opportunities for the aviation sector. To fully realize these benefits, fostering effective communication among all stakeholders, including aviation professionals and AI experts, is essential. The first step toward achieving this goal is to create and adopt a shared vocabulary that enhances mutual understanding and collaboration, driving progress and innovation within the industry.
To this end, the HUCAN project has developed the Glossary of Essential Terminology for AI and Advanced Automation in Aviation. Designed to support the SESAR community, this tool offers a clear, comprehensive and accessible guide to help navigate the complexities of these cutting-edge topics.The release of the glossary marks a significant achievement of the HUCAN project, as it also offers a guideline that help AI-based projects meet EASA’s certification requirements for new technologies, starting from the early development stages.
The document brings together in a single framework the official definitions from key regulatory initiatives for AI in aviation at the European level, including the AI Act (2024), GDPR, and the EASA AI Roadmap, while also integrating insights from the SESAR AI Framework and the EU HLEG-AI Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI.
The glossary is divided into three main sections, each dedicated to key terminology in:
- Automation and AI: providing technical definitions related to AI technologies.
- AI Regulation and Certification: providing the terminology related to key regulatory aspects, such as legal requirements for systems, development phases and roles throughout the lifecycle of AI solutions.
- Society and Ethics: providing terminology related to social and ethical considerations, such as privacy and fairness.
The HUCAN glossary was unveiled at the SESAR Innovation Days 2024, where it was recognized as a useful tool for supporting SESAR projects in designing and certifying innovative technologies.
As Oznur Uygur, SESAR Programme Manager for the HUCAN project, explains:
Integrating higher levels of automation into ATM is essential to meet the sector's evolving demands. To achieve this, we need targeted research and tools to ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks while fostering innovation. The HUCAN Certification Glossary is a vital first step towards this goal.
Project Coordinator Paola Lanzi emphasizes:
As the aviation industry continues to embrace automation and AI technologies, it becomes imperative that robust certification and approval mechanisms are established to ensure the highest levels of safety and compliance. The HUCAN Certification Glossary is an initial but significant step towards achieving this goal as it helps establishing and adopting a common vocabulary and thus understanding each others better when we talk about AI and advanced automation. .
The glossary is available as an open-access document, ensuring its benefits are widely shared among researchers, industry, and regulators.
HUCAN is funded by the SESAR Joint Undertaking under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme.