"AI is now dogfighting with fighter pilots in the air."

Well, that headline makes it sound like dogfighting exercises between human pilots and AI-piloted aircraft are happening now, but the article actually says, in a longwinded way, that this has been authorized and is something that should be happening soon. It has been done in simulation only so far.

The AI-piloted aircraft is the X-62A, a modified two-seat F-16D that was tested last year.

"The machine learning approach relies on analyzing historical data to make informed decisions for both present and future situations, often discovering insights that are imperceptible to humans or challenging to express through conventional rule-based languages. Machine learning is extraordinarily powerful in environments and situations where conditions fluctuate dynamically making it difficult to establish clear and robust rules."

"Enabling a pilot-optional aircraft like the X-62A to dogfight against a real human opponent who is making unknowable independent decisions is exactly the 'environments and situations' being referred to here. Mock engagements like this can be very dangerous even for the most highly trained pilots given their unpredictability."

"Trust in the ACE algorithms is set to be put to a significant test later this year when Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall gets into the cockpit for a test flight."

"I'm going to take a ride in an autonomously flown F-16 later this year. There will be a pilot with me who will just be watching, as I will be, as the autonomous technology works, and hopefully, neither he nor I will be needed to fly the airplane."

ACE stands for "Air Combat Evolution". It's a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program.

Article has lots of links to more information on AI in fighter jets.

#solidstatelife #ai #uavs

https://www.twz.com/air/ai-is-now-dogfighting-with-fighter-pilots-in-the-air