AI Beats a Fighter Pilot in a Virtual Dogfight

An artificial intelligence programmed to fly fighter jets has defeated several air combat experts in a simulation, according to a paper published in the Journal of Defense Management. The AI, called ALPHA, was built by Psibernetix, Inc. with assistance from the Air Force Research Laboratory. ALPHA's purpose was to be better than highly trained fighter pilots, and so far it appears up to the task. The AI has gone up against its predecessor, the AFRL's previous AI program, and a series of human opponents. It emerged victorious each time. One of those opponents, Gene Lee, is a retired Air Force colonel with extensive flight experience both as a pilot and an instructor.