Archer Announces Zee, AI Foundation Model Purpose-Built for Aviation, a Key Pillar of Its Physical AI Strategy

• Archer created Zee, what it believes to be the world’s leading aviation-specific foundational model that delivers a unified aviation intelligence platform built on ADS-B, ATC communication, maps and charts, aircraft state, terrain and weather data.
• Archer’s AI team of nearly 100 researchers and engineers is led by Mario Srouji, who joined Archer last year after his time at Apple, and advised by Professor Ruslan Salakhutdinov, former VP of AI Research at Meta and Director of AI Research at Apple.
• Zee is trained on real-world operational data, aggregated through Archer's proprietary data pipeline and a global network of over 6,000 ADS-B receivers.
• The foundation model is designed to work both offline, on-device and as a server-hosted solution, critical for use in a wide range of aviation environments from air taxis and UAVs to commercial airlines and air traffic management.
• Archer is in discussions to deploy Zee initially through pilot programs with governments, airlines and other industry partners. Applications include airline operations, airspace management, and copilot assistance with the goal of helping improve flight safety and efficiency.

SILICON VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) today announced Zee, what it believes to be the world’s leading aviation-specific foundational model that delivers a unified aviation intelligence platform built on ADS-B, ATC communication, maps and charts, aircraft state, terrain and weather data. Zee is trained on real-world operational data, aggregated through Archer's proprietary data pipeline and a global network of over 6,000 ADS-B receivers.

“We are building an intelligence layer for the entire aviation system with Zee. The company that owns the data and the foundation model will help lead the aviation industry into the next era of flight,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer.

On a typical day, more than 45,000 flights move through American airspace. That flight activity generates a constant flow of data in the form of radio calls, navigation inputs and aircraft-state that pilots and air traffic controllers piece together in real time. Zee is built to understand these disparate data sources as a single system. The goal of Archer’s approach with this unified aviation intelligence platform is to deliver a lower latency, better performing model capable of running on-device requiring no connectivity, critical for use in a wide range of aviation environments from air taxis and UAVs to commercial airliners and air traffic management.

Archer’s AI team of nearly 100 researchers and engineers is led by Mario Srouji, who joined Archer last year after his time at Apple, and advised by Professor Ruslan Salakhutdinov, former VP of AI Research at Meta and Director of AI Research at Apple. The team is made up of AI researchers with prior tenure at leading AI companies across Silicon Valley as well as top university labs.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has committed approximately $20 billion to modernizing the national airspace, a generational undertaking. That investment reflects a broader recognition that the systems running the airspace need to be upgraded. Zee is built for that shift, bringing AI to the operational decisions with the goal of helping improve flight safety and efficiency.

Mario Srouji, VP of AI Products at Archer said, “Aviation is having its GPT moment. Our current national air system is built on legacy technology, and is ripe for AI innovation. Archer’s world-class team, and industry-leading Zee foundation model positions us to help lead the industry transformation; unlocking new levels of safety, efficiency, and scale for America’s airspace.”

Archer is in discussions to deploy Zee initially through pilot programs with governments, airlines and other industry partners. Applications include airline operations, airspace management, and copilot assistance with the goal of helping improve flight safety and efficiency.

About Archer

Archer builds the aircraft and core technologies that will define the next era of flight for aerospace and defense.

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Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimers

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Archer’s future business plans, expectations, and opportunities. These statements include those regarding design, target specifications and use cases of its technologies; timing of Archer’s development and commercialization of its technologies; development of its planned lines of business and opportunities; and anticipated benefits of collaborations with third parties. Forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted are more fully detailed in Archer’s filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, available at investors.archer.com and at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that Archer believes to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. Archer undertakes no obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.