The autopilot does not steer the airplane on the ground or taxi the plane at the gate. Generally, the pilot will handle takeoff and then initiate the autopilot to take over for most of the flight. In some newer aircraft models, autopilot systems will even land the plane.

In 2026, a computer can land the plane, but it rarely does so on a routine basis. Most modern airliners are equipped with an Autoland system, which uses multiple redundant autopilots to guide the aircraft along an Instrument Landing System (ILS) beam all the way to the runway. However, this is primarily used during extremely low visibility (Category III weather) where the pilots cannot see the runway. In normal weather, pilots prefer to hand-fly the final landing to maintain their skills and "feel" for the aircraft. Even when the computer is landing, the pilots are not "hands-off"; they are hyper-vigilant monitors, ready to take control in milliseconds if the system deviates. The computer handles the throttle and steering on the runway (rollout), but the pilots must still manage the reverse thrusters and final braking. So, while the "tech" is there to land the plane autonomously, it acts as a "high-precision backup" rather than a replacement for human skill in 2026.