Did you miss a session from the Future of Work Summit? Applying data science to predict unrest. AI that can anticipate the next variant of COVID-19's structure. That's a few of the headlines in AI this week, which ran the gamut from the dour (how AI might prevent the next attack on the U.S. Capitol) to the uplifting (making air travel greener). It's caveated optimism, but nonetheless a breath of fresh air in a community that's becoming increasingly cynical about the technology's potential to do good.

Alaska Airlines and Airspace Intelligence announced today the signing of a multi-year contract for the use of Flyways AI, an industry-changing platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to assist dispatchers in making flight operations more efficient and sustainable by optimizing routes and improving the predictability and flow of airline traffic. Alaska is the first airline worldwide to adopt the technology. The use of an AI-powered flight monitoring and routing platform that aids in critical decisions is a first in the U.S. air transportation industry. It allows the airline and its employees to plan the most efficient routes by giving dispatchers new tools to make informed decisions quickly. Using machine-learning models of the National Airspace System, Flyways predicts future scenarios and manages exceptions network-wide by processing millions of data inputs quickly and with even greater precision. The commitment to a continued partnership comes after an initial six-month trial program, during which Alaska's dispatchers used the new AI-powered flight prediction information to help them plan, monitor, and make recommendations for rerouting flights to avoid issues like congested airspace and bad weather.

Alaska Airlines and Airspace Intelligence announce a first-of-its-kind partnership to optimize air traffic flow with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. The first-ever use of artificial intelligence in flight operations control continues Alaska's legacy of innovation, enabling more efficient and sustainable flights. Alaska Airlines has been a leader in implementing flight deck automation. The first foray into cockpit modernization started in 1987 with heads up displays (HUD) to project flight data on the cockpit windows to aid in landing. In 2010, the airline adopted Required Navigation Performance (RNP) to aid in precision landings in Alaska during bad weather.

Back in 1995, the NavLab 5 team at Carnegie Mellon University launched an autonomous vehicle on a trip from Pittsburgh to San Diego. It averaged speeds above 60 mph. So if self-driving technology worked on a cross-country trip 22 years ago, why aren't roads filled with autonomous cars today? The reason is the technology remains closer to the research lab stage and is not ready for prime time, ay experts. Sensors must shrink, improve their range, particularly in bad weather, and become less expensive.

Siri may be able to tell you the capital of Kazakhstan and show you the city's weather forecast -- but her descendents will be able to book the flight that gets you there. Technology under development for "bots" focuses on back-and-forth conversation, a new phenomenon that essentially gives the sensation of a computer standing in a room, aware of its surroundings and offering feedback. "Typically, what happens with Siri is you ask a question and you get an answer," said Next IT chief technology officer Chuck Wooters. "You are having a conversation, but a limited one." That will change as bots, connected nearly every hour of everyday through mobile devices, learn from their users by retaining search history and processing trends.