AI algorithm defeats human fighter pilot in simulated dogfight

An artificial intelligence algorithm has defeated a human F-16 fighter pilot in a virtual dogfight simulation. The Aug. 20 event was the finale of the Pentagon research agency's AI air combat competition. The algorithm, developed by Heron Systems, easily defeated the fighter pilot in all five rounds that capped off a yearlong competition hosted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The competition, called the AlphaDogfight Trials, was part of DARPA's Air Combat Evolution program, which is exploring automation in air-to-air combat and looking to improve human trust in AI systems. "It's easy to go down the wrong path of thinking that that is either A) definitive in some way as to what the future of [basic fighter maneuvers will be]; or B) that it is a bad outcome," said Justin Mock of DARPA, a fighter pilot and commentator for the trials.