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The Future of AI in Automatic Document Checks (ADC)

Balancing Innovation and Responsibility: How AI in Automatic Document Check Could Transform Compliance Without Replacing Human Expertise

In today’s highly regulated travel environment, ensuring passenger compliance with international travel requirements is more critical than ever. An essential tool that airlines, ground handlers and border agencies rely on is the Automatic Document Check (ADC), a process designed to verify that a passenger’s documentation meets the destination country’s entry conditions before travel begins. 

What Is an Automatic Document Check (ADC)? 

ADC is a pre-departure validation process where passenger travel documents, typically passports, visas, and other compliance credentials inspected for accuracy and validity against the destination country’s rules. These checks are crucial in avoiding inadmissible passengers, preventing costly fines for airlines, and disruption to the travelling public. 

Traditionally, these checks are conducted by airline staff either at check-in, during document verification at the airport, or via dedicated systems integrated into airline DCS (Departure Control Systems). 

Over time, an increasing number of carriers have enhanced this process through online tools and automated systems, helping to reduce manual errors and improve processing times. However, at its core, ADC relies heavily on human oversight to interpret the sometimes-complex definition of travel rules and handle exceptions accurately. 

The Case for AI in Automatic Document Checks

With the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, the aviation industry is beginning to explore how AI in Automatic Document Check might enhance compliance processes. For real-time data analysis, AI could theoretically offer faster, smarter checks that adapt to constantly changing travel regulations.

Imagine an AI model trained on thousands of immigration policies and past compliance data—instantly flagging anomalies or recommending alternate routing for inadmissible passengers. In some cases, AI in Automatic Document Check could help detect fraudulent documents or anticipate policy shifts based on geopolitical trends.

But this raises a critical question: Are we ready to trust AI with such a high-stakes responsibility?

Industry Caution: The Limits of AI in ADC 

While AI holds promise, many in the industry remain cautious—and rightly so. 

Unlike straightforward automation, ADC involves complex decision-making that often requires interpretation, cultural context, and ethical sensitivity. Travel rules are rarely a simple, easy to understand answer; they evolve rapidly, contain exceptions, and can vary based on bilateral agreements, temporary restrictions (such as those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic), or political changes. AI systems may struggle with edge cases, ambiguity, or complex scenarios. 

Of course, there is a reputational and legal risk for airlines. A single AI error in document validation could result in a denied boarding for a legitimate traveller or worse, the transport of an inadmissible person—exposing the carrier to fines, (in some cases reaching thousands of Euros), operational delays, and brand damage. 

Why Human Expertise Remains Critical 

At present, experienced airline staff, ground handlers and compliance teams are essential to ensuring passengers entry requirements are cleared accurately. Their judgment, backed by robust tools like TravelDoc, is what gives the ADC process its credibility. Human agents can interpret unclear situations, seek clarification from authorities, and handle exceptions with empathy and discretion—qualities that AI has yet to master. 

Rather than replace human input, AI in ADC should be adopted as a complementary force: a way to enhance efficiency, not replace expertise. 

AI in ADC – Pros and Cons 

Pros 

  • Speed & Scalability: Real-time checks on large volumes of data. 
  • Consistency: Removes human variability in rule interpretation. 
  • Pattern Detection: Identifies fraud and anomalies faster than manual review. 
  • Continuous Learning: Can improve over time with more data. 

Cons 

  • Lack of Contextual Understanding: Struggles with exceptions and rule interpretation. 
  • Ethical & Legal Concerns: Errors can have serious real-world consequences. 
  • Over-Reliance Risks: Can lead to complacency or blind trust in the system. 
  • Transparency Issues: AI decision-making is not always explainable. 

Questions the Industry Must Ask 

As AI becomes more integrated into compliance systems, the airline industry must assess and address a series of important questions: 

  • How much trust can we place in AI when national entry policies are constantly changing? 
  • Should AI-generated decisions always require human confirmation? 
  • How do we ensure transparency in AI decisions affecting passengers? 
  • Who is accountable when AI makes a mistake—airlines, vendors, or regulators? 
  • Can AI ever truly replace the cultural, legal, and human traits that compliance staff bring to the table? 

The Path Forward 

The future of AI in ADC is not a matter of if, but how. For now, a hybrid model seems most viable: AI can pre-screen, identify patterns, and support decision-making—while humans manage the final review and exception management. 

Industry collaboration will be key. Airlines, technology providers, regulators, and border agencies must work together to establish clear standards, ethical guidelines, and transparent audit trails for AI in compliance processes. 

Final Thought: 

AI has the potential to revolutionise the ADC process—but only if it is introduced responsibly, with human oversight at its core. As we look to the future, the challenge lies not in replacing the human touch, but in using AI to make it more powerful than ever. 

Written by Jason Spencer, Commercial Director, ICTS Europe Systems


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