April 10, 2023
AI's Inhuman Advantage
This article originally appeared in War on the Rocks.
When an AI fighter pilot beat an experienced human pilot 15-0 in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s AlphaDogfight competition, it didn’t just fly better than the human. It fought differently. Heron Systems’ AI agent used forward-quarter gunshots, when the two aircraft were racing toward each other head-to-head, a shot that’s banned in pilot training because of the risk of a collision.
AI agents’ victories demonstrate that machines can dramatically outperform humans in command and control, a potential major advantage in war.
One fighter pilot characterized the AI’s abilities as a “superhuman capability” making high-precision, split-second shots that were “almost impossible” for humans. Even more impressive, the AI system wasn’t programmed to fight this way. It learned this tactic all on its own. AI systems’ ability to perform not just better than humans, but to fight differently, is a major potential advantage in warfare.
Read the full article from War on the Rocks.
More from CNAS
-
Promethean Rivalry
Reports
Executive Summary Just as nuclear weapons revolutionized 20th-century geopolitics, artificial intelligence (AI) is primed to transform 21st-century power dynamics—with world l...
By Bill Drexel
-
Safe and Effective
Reports
The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy to change the character of war inches closer to reality...
By Josh Wallin
-
Catalyzing Crisis
Reports
The arrival of ChatGPT in November 2022 initiated both great excitement and fear around the world about the potential and risks of artificial intelligence (AI). In response, s...
By Bill Drexel & Caleb Withers
-
Obstacles and Opportunities for Transformative Change
Congressional Testimony
Watch:...
By Paul Scharre
