DARPA, the American agency specializing in the development of military technologies, has just announced a significant success. An AI integrated into a modified fighter plane managed to easily take on a human pilot during combat training.
We know that AI is being integrated into a growing number of sectors and activities. We obviously think of the generation of content like Dall-e or Midjourney, of research like Gemini or ChatGPT or even in cinema as proven by this recent Disney series produced in part thanks to AI.
But as you can imagine, it’s been years now since the US army is working on different projects to integrate AI into military technologies. DARPA, the American agency in charge of research and development of defense means, has for example been working since December 2022 on an artificial intelligence capable of piloting fighter planes like a human would.
After having carried out several aerial combat simulations with this AI pilot, DARPA wanted to go further by integrating AI in the systems of an experimental fighter plane: the X-62 A. For the curious, this aircraft is based on a modernized two-seater F-16D. Developed by the Lockheed Martin company, this machine was designed for autonomous piloting. For example, it embeds a Vista simulation system, an MFA algorithm and a SACS autonomous control system responsible for controlling the aircraft controls.
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This AI succeeded in its first aerial combat against a human
After several successful flight tests, DARPA wanted to put the AI’s piloting capabilities to the test… In a combat situation this time. After successfully taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, the AI took part in a aerial combat training against a fighter pilot of the US Air Force in September 2023.
According to DARPA,AI handled this confrontation perfectly. Note that human pilots were on board the X-62 A, first to analyze the behavior of the AI, then to eventually regain control of the aircraft in the event of a problem. But according to the American agency, no human intervention was required. DARPA says both devices delivered “for close, high-intensity engagements” up to 600 meters altitude and 1200 miles per hour (1931 km/h). Nevertheless, impossible to know who was the big winner of this simulated “dogfight”… DARPA preferred to keep the outcome of the fight secret.
“Dogfighting was the problem that needed to be solved so we could start testing autonomous artificial intelligence systems in the air. Every lesson we learn applies to every task you could give to an autonomous system,” says Bill Gray, chief test pilot at the US Air Force Flight School.
Source: The Verge