Combat drone to compete against piloted plane:
The US Air Force will pit an advanced autonomous aircraft against a piloted plane in a challenge set for July 2021.
The project could eventually lead to unpiloted fighter aircraft that use artificial intelligence (AI).
Lt Gen Jack Shanahan, head of the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, called the test a "bold, bold idea".
Air Force Magazine also described the development of autonomous fighter jets as a "big Moonshot" for the military.
[...] When announced in 2018, the project envisioned the development of an unpiloted fighter jet.
Asked by Air Force Magazine whether this was still the objective, Lt Gen Shanahan said he did not know but added that AI-enabled systems could be used in other ways.
"Maybe I shouldn't be thinking about a 65ft-wingspan, maybe it is a small autonomous swarming capability," he explained.
Such swarms of drone aircraft could be deployed under a pilot's control or operate autonomously. A US military project called Skyborg will explore how the pilot of a fighter jet could control other drone aircraft - which would act as airborne sidekicks.
[Protoss] Carrier has arrived.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 06 2020, @10:27AM (1 child)
it's obviously a troll, meant to associate the expression "blacklivesmatter" with the ridiculous, so that it loses its current meaning.
why do you say it can be interpreted in any other way?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday June 06 2020, @10:46AM
Movement to defund police gains 'unprecedented' support across US [theguardian.com]
Police abolition ‘looks like Palo Alto,’ says professor Hakeem Jefferson at race, criminal justice panel [stanforddaily.com]
Let's Abolish the Police Force [lifehacker.com]
Why 'defund the police' has become the rallying cry at Seattle protests [kuow.org]
Portland Disbands School Police Program [reason.com]
Police abolition is definitely part of the BLM agenda, especially if you don't define abolition as "100% reduction".
Cutting military spending, isolationism, etc. has had plenty of support for over a century. With a nuclear deterrent in place, you could get away with cutting a large portion of the military. Drones and robots can replace or supplement the remaining soldiers.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]