Last week, the US military conducted the first known aerial combat test between an AI-controlled fighter jet and a human pilot at California’s Edwards Air Force Base. The exercise involved two F-16 jets, one manned and the other an unmanned X-62A, or VISTA (variable in-flight simulator test aircraft), reaching speeds up to 1,200mph and closing within 600 meters of each other.

“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. “In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the X-62A ACE team.”

The AI used in the unmanned jet analyzes historical data to make real-time decisions, a technique developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Previously tested in simulators, where AI defeated human pilots in all trials, this marked the first live test. Emergency human pilots were onboard the AI jet but did not take control. DARPA hailed the event as a pivotal moment in aerospace, without disclosing the winner of the dogfight.

Featured image: The AI-run plane in action. Credit: Kyle Brasier/USAF