XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aircraft piloted by an Artificial Intelligence for the first time

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) conducted a flight test, in which an XQ-58A Valkyrie combat drone was “piloted” entirely by an Artificial Intelligence.

On July 25, 2023, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) led a successful three-hour sortie, July 25, 2023, demonstrating the first-ever flight of artificial intelligence agents (algorithms) controlling a XQ-58A Valkyrie drone.

As reported by the USAF in a press release, the test, which took place at the Eglin Test and Training Complex in Eglin, Florida, was the culmination of the previous two years of collaboration that began with the Skyborg Vanguard program.

“The mission proved out a multi-layer safety framework on an AI/ML-flown uncrewed aircraft and demonstrated an AI/ML agent solving a tactically relevant “challenge problem” during airborne operations,” said Col. Tucker Hamilton, Air Force AI Test and Operations chief and 96th Operations Group commander. “This sortie officially enables the ability to develop AI/ML agents that will execute modern air-to-air and air-to-surface skills that are immediately transferrable to the CCA program.”

The algorithms were developed by AFRL’s Autonomous Air Combat Operations team. The algorithms matured during millions of hours in high fidelity simulation events, sorties on the X-62 VISTA, Hardware-in-the-Loop events with the XQ-58A, and ground test operations

See also: Artificial Intelligence: USAF official denies that AI-controlled drone has turned against its human operator

“AI will be a critical element to future warfighting and the speed at which we’re going to have to understand the operational picture and make decisions,” said Brig. Gen. Scott Cain, AFRL commander. “AI, Autonomous Operations, and Human-Machine Teaming continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace and we need the coordinated efforts of our government, academia, and industry partners to keep pace.”