Artificial intelligence wins over man in simulated aerial dogfight

An artificial intelligence algorithm soundly defeated an experienced U.S. F-16 fighter pilot in a simulation of an aerial dogfight, the Pentagon said. The event, called Alpha Dogfight Trials, was part of the Air Combat Evaluation program of the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Designed to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence in combat situations, DARPA invited teams from eight defense contractors to fly F-16 fighter planes in competitive, simulated combat. The weeklong competition at the Applied Physics Lab of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore led to the winner facing off against a live, experienced pilot. Heron Systems, a Maryland-based AI developer, was the last company standing, and on Thursday its algorithm quickly defeated a U.S. Air Force pilot identified only as "Banger" in five rounds of combat, all in less than two minutes.