(From left) Johannes Studinger, UNI Global; Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA; Ed Wytkind, AFL-CIO; Elizabeth Kelly, White House National Economic Council; and Amanda Ballantyne, AFL-CIO Technology Institute

Leaders from across the labor movement, entertainment sector, and technology space convened this week in Las Vegas to discuss innovation and the future of workers at the 5th Annual Labor Innovation & Technology Summit. Among them was Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA first vice president and national safety coordinator. Held in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show, which had an estimated 130,000 attendees from around the world, the summit is a stark reminder that workers must be allowed to thrive alongside advancements in technology.

On Wednesday, Morse joined a panel titled “Tech in the Workplace: Governance, Legislative and Regulatory Frameworks.” The discussion included efforts by labor to mitigate the harmful impacts of artificial intelligence and technology on U.S. workers, along with debate on regulatory advances being made in Europe. 

“Through the years, aviation has benefited greatly from advancements in technology, but I’m here today as a reminder that the key to every flight is the crew,” said Morse. “The most important safety feature on any aircraft will always be two highly trained pilots at the controls. Hasty decisions on the deployment of technology run great risks that must be tempered by the overriding need to keep safety, and not cost, as the paramount focus in air travel.”

Morse highlighted how ALPA works with Congress and the FAA to reform systems and create new standards for the deployment of technology in airplanes. “ALPA ensures that an aircraft and its attendant technology work for both the pilots and the safety of the flying public,” she said.

Using real examples of how technology cannot replace two pilots on the flight deck or the rest of the flight crew, she referenced Alaska Flight 1282. “We had a high-level event reported in the news media this week that highlighted how airline pilots worked together to avert disaster. We’ve all heard about the door blowing off Alaska Flight 1282—imagine if there weren’t two pilots on board. Imagine if the cabin crew weren’t trained safety experts.”

Morse detailed how some manufactures, as well as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, are considering proposals to remove pilots from the flight deck and that ALPA has partnered with pilots across the globe to educate the public on the risks of this endeavor.

“What all of this misses—and any pilot can tell you—is that commercial airline travel in North America is the safest transportation system in the world today because it has been built on redundancy. If one system fails, backup systems keep the flight operating safely. That is why commercial airliners have two engines, but the ultimate failsafe is at least two pilots on the flight deck. Human pilots can hear, smell, or feel an impeding problem long before it registers on safety systems’ sensors. The human element can never be completely removed,” Morse explained.

Among the other headline speakers for this week’s event were AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, and President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Maya Wiley. Summit cosponsors included AFSCME, AFGE, AFT, ALPA, ATU, IATSE, NNU, TWU, TTD, UNITE-HERE, and UA.