A universal passenger seat system, comprising: an enclosure configured to be coupled to a seat support structure; a system controller disposed within the enclosure; a physical connection interface employing a standardized communication protocol, such as USB, Ethernet, CAN bus, SAE, J1939, IEEE 802++, Bluetooth and so forth, for communicatively coupling the system controller with seating hardware, at least one peripheral device (230; 504; 506; 508; 604), and at least one network connection (602, 608, 610); at least one of a biometric sensor, a physiological sensor, or a situational data sensor (232; 240, 242, 244, 246, 248, 250, 252, 254); and an artificial intelligence engine communicatively coupled to or embedded within the system controller, the system controller including circuitry and/or logic for the artificial intelligence engine, the artificial intelligence engine configured to determine a passenger status received from the at least one of the biometric sensor, the physiological sensor, or the situational data sensor (232; 240, 242, 244, 246, 248, 250, 252, 254) wherein the artificial intelligence engine is further configured to access data contained in a passenger profile and configured to generate one or more communication signals based on the data received from the sensors and accessed from the passenger profile; wherein the one or more communication signals include at least one of a control signal for the seating hardware, an information signal for the at least one peripheral device (230; 504; 506; 508; 604), or a status signal for transmission via the at least one network connection (602, 608, 610), characterized in that the universal passenger seat system further comprises a global aeronautical distress and safety system communicatively coupled to or embedded within the system controller, wherein the artificial intelligence engine is configured to generate one or more communication signals based on information collected by the global aeronautical distress and safety system when the data received from the at least one of the biometric sensor, the physiological sensor, or the situational data sensor indicates at least a threshold distress level. an enclosure configured to be coupled to a seat support structure; a system controller disposed within the enclosure; a physical connection interface employing a standardized communication protocol, such as USB, Ethernet, CAN bus, SAE, J1939, IEEE 802++, Bluetooth and so forth, for communicatively coupling the system controller with seating hardware, at least one peripheral device (230; 504; 506; 508; 604), and at least one network connection (602, 608, 610); at least one of a biometric sensor, a physiological sensor, or a situational data sensor (232; 240, 242, 244, 246, 248, 250, 252, 254); and an artificial intelligence engine communicatively coupled to or embedded within the system controller, the system controller including circuitry and/or logic for the artificial intelligence engine, the artificial intelligence engine configured to determine a passenger status received from the at least one of the biometric sensor, the physiological sensor, or the situational data sensor (232; 240, 242, 244, 246, 248, 250, 252, 254) wherein the artificial intelligence engine is further configured to access data contained in a passenger profile and configured to generate one or more communication signals based on the data received from the sensors and accessed from the passenger profile; wherein the one or more communication signals include at least one of a control signal for the seating hardware, an information signal for the at least one peripheral device (230; 504; 506; 508; 604), or a status signal for transmission via the at least one network connection (602, 608, 610), characterized in that the universal passenger seat system further comprises a global aeronautical distress and safety system communicatively coupled to or embedded within the system controller, wherein the artificial intelligence engine is configured to generate one or more communication signals based on information collected by the global aeronautical distress and safety system when the data received from the at least one of the biometric sensor, the physiological sensor, or the situational data sensor indicates at least a threshold distress level.