Engineering Trust in Complex Automated Systems

Abstract

We studied the transparency of automated tools used during emergency operations in commercial aviation. Transparency (operationalized as increasing levels of explanation associated with an automated tool recommendation) was manipulated to evaluate how transparent interfaces influence pilot trust of an emergency landing planning aid. We conducted a low-fidelity study in which commercial pilots interacted with simulated recommendations from NASA’s Emergency Landing Planner (ELP) that varied in their associated levels of transparency. Results indicated that trust in the ELP was influenced by the level of transparency within the human–machine interface of the ELP. Design recommendations for automated systems are discussed.