The United States Air Force is testing AI jets, and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall will be a passenger. Air Force Secretary volunteered to be the first passenger in a self-flying F-16 fighter jet to evaluate its performance.
“There will be a pilot with me who will just be watching, as I will be, as the autonomous technology works,” Kendall said during a Senate Appropriations Committee defense panel on Tuesday.
“Hopefully neither he nor I will be needed to fly the airplane,” Kendall added.
If successful, the technology might be smarter, more efficient, and more cost-effective than manually operated aircraft.
In March, the Daily Mail reported that the US Air Force had bought a fleet of 1,000 AI-operated drones capable of “performing riskier maneuvers” than manual aircraft.
Each plane will likely cost between $10 and $20 million
According to the publication, each plane will likely cost between $10 and $20 million, which is far less than standard manual aircraft.
According to the Associated Press, the aircraft will be built with low-cost materials and will only fly a few missions before being destroyed.
Meanwhile, a new manned F-35 costs $100 million, and a B-21 bomber costs $750 million, according to one Daily Mail estimate.
The self-flying F-16 fighter jets were designed with a future China conflict in mind
These factors could have a substantial impact on the US’s performance in future warfare. According to AP, the fleet was particularly envisioned to account for a potential future battle with China.
The Pentagon is likely to select two companies to build the technology by this summer and complete hundreds of planes over the next five years.
Though it appears to have advantages, fully autonomous systems have drawn criticism from those concerned about the risks of depending on AI to make strategic judgments.