【AI前沿】AI is being used to resurrect the voices of dead pilots

In BriefPosted:4:03 PM PDT · May 22, 2026Image Credits:Stephen Cohen / Getty ImagesKirsten KorosecAI is being used to resurrect the voices of dead pilotsIn the latest sign of these AI-heavy times, the National Transportation Safety Board temporarily removed access to its docket system after discovering that voices of pilots who were killed in a UPS plane crash last year had been re-created using AI and were circulating on the internet.The NTSB is prohibited by federal law from including cockpit audio recordings in its docket system, which otherwise contains troves of data on investigations and has historically been open to the public. But the accident docket for this flight included a spectrogram file of the voice recorder. A spectrogram uses a mathematical process to turn sound signals, including low and high frequencies, into an image.Scott Manley, a popular YouTuber whose channel combines physics, astronomy, and video games,noted on Xthat it could be possible to reconstruct audio from the megabytes of data encoded in that image.And that’s what happened. People took the spectrogram, along with the publicly available transcript, to create approximations of the cockpit voice recorder audio from UPS Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky,according to the NTSB. They used AI tools like Codex, according to posts on social media.The agencyrestoredpublic access to the docket system on Friday but kept 42 investigations closed pending review — including the one related to Flight 2976.TopicsAI,crash,flight,In Brief,NTSB,TransportationMay 27Athens, GreeceStrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone.REGISTER NOWNewslettersSee MoreSubscribe for the industry’s biggest tech newsTechCrunch Daily NewsEvery weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.TechCrunch MobilityTechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.Startups WeeklyStartups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.StrictlyVCProvides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day.No newsletters selected.SubscribeBy submitting your email, you agree to ourTermsandPrivacy Notice.RelatedSecurityTyping these four characters could crash your iPhoneLorenzo Franceschi-BicchieraiAug 21, 2024TransportationUS safety regulators open special investigation into Cruise AV crashKirsten KorosecJul 7, 2022FintechCryptocurrencies have already recovered from last weekend’s crashFitz TepperSep 6, 2017Latest in TransportationIn BriefAI is being used to resurrect the voices of dead pilotsKirsten Korosec9 hours agoTransportationWaymo expands pause to four cities as robotaxis keep driving into floodsSean O’Kane1 day agoTransportationWho will benefit most from SpaceX IPO? Mostly Elon — and a few from his inner circleJulie Bort1 day ago