The US Air Force is currently testing AI-powered F-16 jets in combat training scenarios, a significant development overseen by Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall during a groundbreaking test flight on Thursday.
According to reports, in certain combat situations, these AI-powered jets are surpassing human pilots in performance.
The recent test flight, conducted over Edwards Air Force Base, involved a series of combat exercises and aerial battle scenarios. The Associated Press noted that the AI-powered aircraft, which has completed approximately twenty flights since testing commenced in September, has begun to outperform human pilots in select scenarios.
During the Thursday flight, the X-62A VISTA plane engaged in close maneuvers with a human-piloted F-16, operating within 1,000 feet of each other at speeds exceeding 550 miles per hour.
While humanitarian organizations have expressed deep reservations about delegating life-and-death decisions to AI-powered crafts, Kendall emphasized that AI is already reshaping global warfare strategies, indicating that it has become a necessity.
"It's a security risk not to have it. At this point, we have to have it," Kendall told the Associated Press following his landing.
AP's report highlighted that the US Air Force is placing significant emphasis on AI, with plans to deploy a fleet of 1,000 unmanned drones capable of executing riskier maneuvers than manned aircraft, with the first set to be operational by 2028.
Despite acknowledging that AI-powered crafts may soon replace them, pilots at Edwards Air Force Base are hesitant to face adversaries with AI capabilities if the US does not possess its own autonomous fleet.
"We have to keep running. And we have to run fast," Kendall remarked after his Thursday flight.
At the time of reporting, the Air Force had not responded to a request for comment from Business Insider.