PhD Studentship: Transforming Air Traffic Control: Sequence Prediction and Modelling with Large Language Models

The University of Exeter’s Department of Computer Science invites applications for an EPSRC iCASE PhD studentship fully-funded by the EPSRC and NATS to commence in September 2024. The studentship will cover Home or International tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £21,237 for 4-years full-time.

Project Description:

Recent advances in sequence prediction with large language models have opened up new possibilities in various domains. Building upon these cutting-edge methodologies, this PhD project aims to extend their application to the realm of air traffic control (ATC).

The project seeks to develop an advanced air traffic control agent utilising a unique and rich dataset comprising over 20 years of interactions between air traffic controllers and pilots. The extraordinary ability of these models to generate new, emergent behaviour beyond their training data holds promise for developing an ATC agent that can potentially perform beyond human capabilities. Additionally, it offers opportunities to devise novel strategies for conflict resolution and traffic flow management, leading to improved efficiency and safety in air travel.

This project represents an exciting opportunity to push the boundaries of sequence prediction and modelling, as well as leveraging a novel, never-seen-before dataset. The combination of state-of-the-art machine learning methods and unique data makes this a compelling project for anyone interested in pushing the boundaries of state-of-the-art machine learning.

The collaboration involves a project partner who is providing funding and other material support to the project, this means there are special terms that apply to the project, these will be discussed with Candidates at Interview and fully set out in the offer letter. The collaboration with the named project partner is subject to contract. Full details will be confirmed at offer stage.
International applicants need to be aware that you will have to cover the cost of your student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD.