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DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

darpa.mil

131–140 of 357 posts

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#131

> The kit utilizes a novel interface with the aircraft’s flight controls and mission systems, allowing a pilot to toggle between traditional human control and AI control with the flip of a switch. This ensures a safe, reliable environment for human-on-the-loop experimentation. How, exactly, does that ensure a safe reliable environment? Humans are pretty bad at suddenly taking over when an automatic system reaches its…

Probably a duplicate autopilot-like system that an AI controls. Flip a switch and controls revert back to the pilot. It may not even be a real switch, many planes disengage AP when you touch the controls.

I doubt AI will be doing dogfighting anytime soon, this is likely just an AI following predetermined routes and maneuvers and making the choice on how to accomplish them. The great thing about computers is that they can process inputs faster than humans.

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The simulator is not the aircraft.

The first time an airline pilot flies a new aircraft type in the real world they fly it with a plane full of passengers. All the training up to that point is done in a simulator. Now that first flight is with an experienced training captain but the point is the simulator is good enough that the FAA has signed off on using that as the primary training device. It's been this way for at least 25 years.

Many of the crash reports from the likes of Mentor Pilot on YouTube call out insufficient type-experience as a cause of accidents. Sometimes it's "the same" type, but the manufacturers manipulated the situation, the changes mean unfamiliarity and that leads to deaths.

Not giving pilots live training on new types is for financial reasons. It doesn't cause more deaths than the cost differential between training and compensation allow for.

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#133

The article smells of AI psychosis. They are already "orchestrating". In the first Iraq war, they went in and won. In the second one, it took years to sort of occupy the country. Now they struggle against Iran and "orchestrate" F-16s that can be shot down instantly by AA weapons. Since COVID the world has collectively lost its mind.

I feel that, "Everyone else is mad" is a really big red flag for one's own mental health and emotional state, rather than an accurate rendition of reality.

I think that the strange comma placements are a red flag.

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#134

The article smells of AI psychosis. They are already "orchestrating". In the first Iraq war, they went in and won. In the second one, it took years to sort of occupy the country. Now they struggle against Iran and "orchestrate" F-16s that can be shot down instantly by AA weapons. Since COVID the world has collectively lost its mind.

> Now they struggle against Iran

Are they? F-16 wasn’t designed to operate in modern denied environments and more jet damage has been done from friendly fire than Iran.

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#135

All Stealth bombers are upgraded with Cyberdyne computers, becoming fully unmanned. Afterwards they fly with a perfect operational record. The Skynet funding bill is passed. The system goes on-line on August 4, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.

Updated to reflect modern realities: > In a panic, they try to pull the plug. Skynet lobbyists descend upon Washington. Skynet is reinstated, and later the US declares a new war in the middle east. The Skynet stock rallies.

I think it goes more like:

  Hello Skynet, we have 1.6T debt to hide as there are no chances to recoup that money and investors are getting really angry at us.  

  Hello, say no more I have a perfect solution for this problem…

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#136
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Humans can survive 9g for only a few seconds, while a drone could do much sharper manouvers

But they also have their limits. Bolts and trusses (and solder joints) have tensile strength limits, but it can be higher than what humans can take.

Not in this case, but if you aren't building it to put humans in it at all, you can build it with higher requirements in mind. Traditionally there's no point building a plane that can withstand much over 9g.

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#137
post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Updated to reflect modern realities: > In a panic, they try to pull the plug. Skynet lobbyists descend upon Washington. Skynet is reinstated, and later the US declares a new war in the middle east. The Skynet stock rallies.

I think it goes more like: Hello Skynet, we have 1.6T debt to hide as there are no chances to recoup that money and investors are getting really angry at us. Hello, say no more I have a perfect solution for this problem…

  *Chinese lab releases open model weights*

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#138
post #40

Absolutely terrifying. I'm sure they will soon find that AI pilots defeat human ones in dogfights 100% of the time, since they have faster reaction times, can tolerate higher G forces, and can be perfectly RL trained in the flight sims we already have. It's really incredible to me that people aren't protesting in the streets over this stuff. Just in the last month we have * AI that goes rogue and hacks billion-dollar…

If your protest were to be successful, would you be doing anything besides putting the USA at a massive disadvantage? What would be the plan exactly, sustenance farming while the rest of the world leaves us behind?

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#139

So, it's a drone with uncessercary baggage such life support and a pilot that can't stand the Gs well. For some reason I am reminded of Dark Star :-)

Pretty much, but it's building on top of the previous QF program [0][1] where the USAF would retrofit retired jets like the F-4 and older F-16s as drones for target training. They used to be remotely controlled but the VENOM platform is testing complete autonomy. [0] - https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/1045... [1] - https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/467196/first...

Also there's just an absolutely bonkers number of F-16s in service today.

Using them as Loyal Wingman type aircraft would look pretty appealing cost wise.

Re: DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In the first Iraq war, they went in and won. In the second one, it took years to sort of occupy the country. The objectives for the two wars were incredibly different, making this an apples to oranges comparison. In the first war, the objective was to push Iraqi troops out of Kuwait (achieved) and then to contain the Iraqi military within Iraq (achieved). In the second war, the objectives were much broader and much…

I wouldn't call nation building a failure. It made significant progress.

Some nation building occurred, but mostly corruption. This was after the first war where they deliberately destroyed civilian infrastructure like power plants, water treatment plants, hospitals and such to create a failed nation. A country that was one of the most modern and developed middle eastern countries before the war.
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