DFW to establish dedicated AI leadership role
The principal AI lead will oversee strategy, infrastructure, procurement and employee training, according to a report by Dallas Innovates. Responsibilities will include managing pilot projects, evaluating emerging technologies and establishing safeguards against unauthorised AI use.
A DFW spokesperson told Dallas Innovates that the position would support efforts to improve operational efficiency, passenger experience and employee productivity.
Paul Puopolo, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at DFW
The AI lead will work alongside Paul Puopolo, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at DFW and founding president of the Airports AI Alliance (AAA). Puopolo remains on the Alliance’s Executive Committee following the appointment of Eduardo Valencia, Chief Information Officer at the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), as president in August.
When AAA was established in 2024, Puopolo emphasised the importance of collaboration between airport business and technology leaders to integrate AI with existing systems. The new position at DFW represents a further step towards putting that approach into practice across the organisation.
The move follows MAC’s recent appointment of Nick Running as Assistant Director of Data and Artificial Intelligence. Running is responsible for strengthening enterprise data management and developing governance policies to support AI adoption across MAC’s airport system.
In an earlier interview with AAA, Valencia emphasised the importance of workforce development and data readiness, arguing that airports should prioritise AI applications addressing clearly defined operational challenges.
The new position forms part of DFW’s wider efforts to develop a technology roadmap for the next decade, with greater coordination of AI deployment across the organisation.
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