AI could soon fight wars autonomously

Published on April 27, 2024


The U.S. Air Force could soon have a new kind of fighter jock on its roster: an artificial intelligence-powered pilot. Picture: ENGINEERING.COM

OF the many implications that Artificial intelligence (AI) has on the future of the human race, the application of this technology in military uses is perhaps the one currently causing the most concern. The first dogfight between a human pilot and an AI-controlled fighter jet was conducted by the US military last year.

The US Air Force revealed in September of last year, at Edwards Air Force Base in California, a computer-controlled F-16 jet engaged in aerial combat with a manned F-16 aircraft. The two aircraft practiced both offensive and defensive manoeuvres as well as dogfighting, or battle within visual range while reaching top speeds of 1200 mph.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) published footage of the nose-to-nose aerial combat, which shows the two planes swooping in and out of each other as they race across the sky.

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