DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) staged the first air battle between a human pilot and an AI-controlled fighter jet. An F-16 piloted by a human went head-to-head with an AI-piloted X-62A in a dogfight at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The two aircraft performed a series of defensive and offensive maneuvers, including close-quarters combat often referred to as dogfighting. DARPA later released a video of this engagement between the two jets. The video shows the movements of both aircraft as they navigate the airspace.

The AI-controlled aircraft, a modified F-16, leveraged machine learning to excel in aerial combat. Trained on a vast dataset of past maneuvers, its software was rigorously tested in a simulated flight environment. Once its autopilot efficiency was confirmed, the AI pilot was put to the test in a real-world dogfight.

This warplane holds the distinction of being the first to integrate artificial intelligence for aerial maneuvers. The AI system continuously receives and analyzes data, enabling it to make real-time decisions that emulate the strategic/tactic thinking of seasoned pilots.

While a human pilot was on board the X-62A as a safety precaution in case of malfunction, the AI flawlessly executed the maneuvers, rendering human intervention unnecessary.

DARPA has remained tight-lipped about the outcome of the dogfight, withholding details on whether the AI surpassed the human pilot’s performance. Their focus lies in evaluating the AI’s capabilities for this mission, not achieving a competitive victory.

Dogfight of the Future

DARPA stated that a dogfight between an AI-controlled aircraft and a human pilot represents a “transformational moment” in aviation history.

AI has the potential to revolutionize dogfighting by functioning either autonomously or collaboratively with human pilots. It can handle a massive amount of data in real-time and make decisions based on that data. Additionally, AI can team up with human pilots, acting as an unfatigueable copilot that handles complex calculations while the human focuses on broader strategy and maneuvers that benefit from human intuition.

This AI-human partnership could lead to the development of entirely new dogfighting tactics, forcing both human and AI pilots to constantly adapt and evolve in this aerial chess match.

Link to DARPA video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8yjtaZfNCw