Aviation security analytics specialist projects future of TSA on Driving You Crazy podcast

DENVER — Imagine being able to walk into an airport, pass right through security without even stopping and getting to your gate minutes later.

“If we know who you claim to be and we know you are not a threat, then why even physically screen you?” Dr. Sheldon Jacobson, professor of computer science at the University of Illinois said on the Driving You Crazy Podcast. “Facial recognition and biometrics in general is truly the game changer when it comes to airport security. There will some subset of travelers with appropriate vetting that may not require any physical screening in the future.”

Dr. Jacobson specializes in aviation security analytics and applied operations research. He said the future of airport security that he envisions would be dependent on travelers embracing biometrics and facial recognition combined with artificial intelligence.

“We could get to the point so that for many passengers who are benign and who are being grossly overscreened right now, the TSA would rightly screen them which means no screening at all,” Dr. Jacobson said.

He has been working on airport security well before the terror attacks of Sept., 11, 2001. His research on aviation passenger screening at airports was the foundational design of the TSA PreCheck program. The TSA uses PreCheck to identify low-risk, pre-approved travelers who will then use expedited security screening lanes at U.S. airports. The vetting allows passengers to leave their shoes, belts and light jackets on, and keep laptops and liquids in their bags during screening. Travelers fill out an application form, attend an in-person appointment for fingerprints and an ID check, and receive a Known Traveler Number to add to your airline reservations for each trip. The service costs $85 that lasts for five years.

However, Dr Jacobson believes this program should be free for all travelers, saying the government saves money when a PreCheck passenger goes through an airport security checkpoint.

“There’s been estimates that it saves around $100 million per year, and I think that is a very conservative estimate. We did the analysis and found that if they give it away for free for anybody who flies at least six one-way segments per year, it saves money. I’m a firm believer of that,” Dr. Jacobson said.

During Dr Jacobson’s conversation on the Driving You Crazy podcast, he further discusses that while the TSA isn't perfect, it is way better than the alternative. He believes TSA has been too reactionary with the ban on liquids and taking off of shoes. The entire interview can be found on any podcast app including, iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.