A faulty sensor – and the automated action it led to – are being blamed for the loss of Lion Air flight JT 610. Is it time for AI to take a back seat, asks Peter Lemme

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ON 29 October, Lion Air flight JT 610 crashed into the sea off Jakarta with the loss of 189 lives. The investigation continues, but flight information recovered from the wreckage indicates that the pilots were battling with the autopilot. In a situation like that, who should we rely on: human or machine?

The automated system was supposed to correct the aircraft’s pitch. Instead, it repeatedly pushed the nose down towards the ground. Thirteen minutes after take off, the plane was lost.

Every time something is added to make a plane safer, new ways are created to make it …