AI in US Air Force: Technology Co-pilots Spy Military Aircraft

The US Air Force just witnessed the debut of AI in the cockpit of its spy plane, a U-2 Dragon Lady, successfully registering the future of artificial intelligence in the defense sector.

It was a test flight flown on Tuesday and the first time artificial intelligence was used for co-piloting a US forces aircraft in such a manner. The goal of the US military is to efficiently master the usage of artificial intelligence for it is going to be critical in futuristic warfare. According to Air Force officials, the flight training conducted with AI was one of their biggest milestones.

The Air Force cited, “The Air Force flew artificial intelligence as a working aircrew member onboard a military aircraft for the first time, December 15,” and added that the flight signaled “a major leap forward for national defense in the digital age.”

The algorithm of Artificial Intelligence used was “ARTUµ”, which has been developed by Air Force’s researchers at the Air Combat Command U-2 Federal Laboratory. The AI has been programmed in a manner that it is able to “execute certain in-flight tasks that otherwise would be done by the pilot,” as per the department’s statement.

The ARTUµ algorithm in combination with Air Force’s human officer piloting the aircraft. The AI was responsible for employing sensor and tactical navigation.

The role of AI is especially important to the US defense sector because its arch rival China considers it's critical for the future of its military and industrial power. Beijing is even in the process of making strategic investment in the area of AI globally to yield economic benefits as well as national security.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley also confirmed the continuation of AI’s use in US Air Force and military. Milley stated that artificial intelligence and robotics are here to stay and will play a significant role in the military’s future conflicts in the coming 10 to 15 years.