The Coming Wave: AI, Power, and Our Future

by Mustafa Suleyman

In the early days of jet engines, the 1950s, crashes—and fatalities—were worryingly common. By the early 2010s they were at just one death per 7.4 million passenger boardings. Years now go by with no fatal accidents whatsoever involving American commercial aircraft. Flying is just about the safest mode of transport there is: sitting thirty-five thousand feet in the sky is safer than sitting at home on your couch. Airlines’ impressive safety record comes down to numerous incremental technical and operational improvements over the years. But behind them is something just as important: culture. The aviation industry takes a vigorous approach to learning from mistakes at every level. Crashes are not just tragic accidents to mourn; they’re foundational learning experiences in determining how systems fail, opportunities for diagnosing problems, fixing them, and sharing that knowledge across the entire industry. Best practices are hence not corporate secrets, an edge over rival airlines: they’re enthusiastically implemented by competitors in the common interests of collective industry trust and safety.

From Wreckage to Wisdom: The Culture Behind Safe Skies