The FAA grounded every flight in the country after a new AI-based air traffic control system started having trouble communicating with planes flying above 10,000 feet.

• All US flights are halted after planes above 10,000 feet lost reliable contact with air traffic control, tied to a new AI system called Smart that just launched days earlier.
• Officials say it doesn't look like a cyberattack, but they haven't explained exactly what's wrong, leaving the cause still unclear.
• A tanker also hit a cruise ship near New Orleans around the same time, raising questions about whether broader government systems are having problems too.
• This is bad for travelers facing mass delays and cancellations, and it raises safety concerns for passengers already in the air.
• Critics argue the person leading the response, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's successor overseeing this crisis, lacks the technical background to manage an aviation emergency.

Outlook: Flights are expected to stay grounded until officials pin down the cause of the communication failures, with scrutiny likely to grow over the new AI system's rollout.