US Secretary of Air Force flies AI-powered F-16
Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force (photo: flickr.com/thejointstaff)
US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall flew an F-16 fighter jet piloted by artificial intelligence. Moreover, he even took part in a simulated air battle with another F-16 piloted by a human, reports the Associated Press.
The flight took place at Edwards Air Force Base, which is located in the middle of the desert. Only the Associated Press and NBC were authorized to witness this historic flight.
The F-16 fighter jet, called Vista, which was controlled by artificial intelligence, performed maneuvers at speeds of over 885 kilometers per hour, according to the Associated Press. During these maneuvers, the pressure on Kendall's body was five times greater than gravity.
The second F-16, piloted by a human, engaged in a simulated air battle with the first, trying to force the artificial intelligence into a vulnerable position. However, the experiment was successful.
Vista is a unique development that is available only in the United States. The software examines huge amounts of data in a simulator and then tests its findings during real flights. The flight data is fed back into the simulator, after which the artificial intelligence processes it again.
Vista flew its first AI-controlled air battle in September 2023, and since then there have been only about two dozen such flights. But the programs are learning so quickly from each battle that some versions of artificial intelligence being tested on Vista are already beating human pilots in air battles.
