An artificial intelligence algorithm this month beat a human fighter pilot during a simulated dogfight, DARPA officials revealed. This human-machine showdown comes as the military puts more of its pilots in a digital cockpit, rather than a physical one, for qualifications and training.
During the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-hosted AlphaDogfight challenge last week, Maryland-based Heron Systems came in first place among eight companies who pitted their AI-powered simulated aircraft against one another for two days straight. Then, Heron's system on the third day beat an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot "in five straight simulated dogfights in the man-vs-machine finale," the organization said following the finals.