Formulating an Engineering Framework for Future AI Certification in Aviation

A continuous increase of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based functions can be expected for future aviation systems, posing significant challenges to traditional development processes. Established systems engineering frameworks, such as the V-model, are not adequately addressing the novel challenges associated with AI-based systems. Consequently, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) introduced the W-shaped process as an advancement of the V-model to set a regulatory framework for the novel challenges of AI Engineering. In contrast, the agile Development Operations (DevOps) approach, widely adopted in software development, promotes a never-ending iterative development process. This article proposes a novel concept that integrates aspects of DevOps into the W-shaped process to create an AI Engineering framework suitable for aviation-specific applications. Furthermore, it builds upon proven ideas and methods using AI Engineering efforts from other domains. The proposed extension of the W-shaped process, compatible with ongoing standardizations from the G34/WG-114 Standardization Working Group, a joint effort between EUROCAE and SAE, addresses the need for a rigorous development process for AI-based systems while acknowledging its limitations and potential for future advancements. The proposed framework allows for a re-evaluation of the AI/ML constituent based on information from operations, enabling improvement of the system’s capabilities in each iteration.