R2-D2 in the Cockpit? Air Force Testing 'Skyborg' AI Program

In the near future, an Air Force pilot's wingman could be flown by artificial intelligence. The two might fly side-by-side in a highly contested war zone -- and the AI aircraft not only takes the lead, it begins making choices. Does it fire missiles or drop bombs ahead of its fighter counterpart? Probably, because the human response has a lag time, unlike a machine that can detect and react immediately, if necessary. It sounds very much like the Air Force's proposed Loyal Wingman program.