The promise of Artificial Intelligence in autonomous flight is captivating. From self-navigating eVTOLs to advanced mission management systems, AI holds the potential to redefine aerospace capabilities. Yet, beneath the dazzling vision lies a profound challenge: how do we ensure these intelligent systems are not just clever, but unequivocally safe and certifiable for the most demanding environments? The answer, I believe, lies beyond generic processing, at the very heart of custom silicon. The “Black Box” Problem and the DO-254 Mandate For decades, aerospace safety has been built on predictability. Every component, every…