Several studies and experiments on autonomous vehicles in the aviation and maritime sectors are at present being justified by expected gains in performance and safety and reduced environmental impact. However, there are many obstacles to overcome and many questions regarding rules of responsibility, software validation-standardisation, skills development and user acceptability, in addition to the essential issue of safety, both real or perceived.

Tackling the question of full automation made it possible to address these issues through a uniquely transversal vision. What emerges clearly is that the role of humans at the centre of air and maritime operations is essential, and that automated systems must first assist humans by adapting to them before replacing them in a distant and hypothetical future.

This Dossier 50 builds on and extends discussions from the conference organised in December 2019 by the Académie de marine and the Académie de l’air et de l’espace and includes recommendations for decision makers.