AI Is Giving Dead Pilots Their Voices Back
AI companies are cloning the voices of deceased pilots and selling them to aviation training programs. The global voice cloning market hit $2.5 billion in 2025, and aviation is one of its fastest growing customers. Here’s why the ethical debate is missing the real story, and where the money is actually going.
AI Is Cloning Dead Pilots and Airlines Are All In
Airlines are paying up to $400,000 per license to clone deceased pilots’ voices for flight simulators, and the voice AI sector raised $1.3 billion in 2025 alone. Most people think this story is about technology. It’s actually about money, estates, and fraud risk. Here’s how to think about it.