DARPA is testing F-16s flown by AI in virtual combat

DARPA, the U.S. military's research division, is about to host a virtual dogfight where simulated F-16 fighter jets duke it out in a virtual environment to find out which is the, uh, top gun. It's all part of an initiative to develop AI algorithms that could replace -- or at the very least assist -- fighter pilots during combat, Popular Science reports. And this all-AI deathmatch is just the first step: on Thursday morning, the winning algorithm will face off against a human pilot steering a virtual F-16. The program bears a striking resemblance to Skyborg, an Air Force initiative with similar goals. Skyborg quickly rose in prominence as military leaders grew excited about autonomous fighter jets, but then quickly pivoted to other goals like swarm drones when the Air Force realized that it was perhaps too ambitious.