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TechCrunch · September 18, 2026 · On the brief until October 2, 2026

The FAA’s plan to fix air traffic? $875M worth of AI

Aerospace EngineeringOperationsPublic Administration
THE AI ANGLE
Predicting air traffic flows and identifying potential flight conflicts

To address nationwide air traffic controller shortages and modernize aging systems, the FAA is deploying an $875 million automated AI platform called SMART over a 12-year period. Developed by Air Space Intelligence, the cloud-based program evaluates schedules, weather, capacity, and operational constraints to predict traffic flows and identify potential flight conflicts before they happen. This initiative represents a major public-sector investment in operational automation to support strained public infrastructure and workforce management.

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THE TEACHING ANGLE
Students can examine the balance between public procurement of large-scale AI technologies and direct human workforce investments when solving critical infrastructure shortages.

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