The profession of being a fighter pilot is iconic, with historical figures like the Red Baron and fictional characters like Maverick. Yet, just as the bi-wing gave way to the turbo-prop and the F-117 to the F-35, the role of these pilots is evolving. Today’s pilots of the F-22 and F-35, modern icons in their own right, may soon share the skies with artificial Intelligence. Efforts are underway to integrate AI into the cockpit, aiming to reduce the risk to human pilots in future conflicts.
This next evolution in combat is being led by companies like Shield AI and EpiSci. For them, autonomous combat-ready aircraft are the way to bring maximum firepower with minimum exposure for those protecting the United States and its interests.
For former Navy SEAL and Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng, the need for autonomous combat aircraft is simple.
“Every single unit is able to have massive organic air assets at their disposal,” Tseng said. “That’s the shift that’s happening. And why is that important? It enables you to have air superiority on every single mission, and that enables maneuver on the ground, which is fundamentally game-changing.”
For EpiSci’s Chris Gentile, a retired Air Force fighter pilot himself, AI pilots are simply the next evolution of American combat innovation.
“The fact is warfare in general, and the American way of warfare in particular, is about using technology to realize asymmetric advantages over a foe,” Gentile said.
As he sees it, those advantages aren’t limited to the skies.
“Whether that’s a submarine, a ship, an aircraft, a weapons launch platform, something like that, we want to continue to increase that capability, continue to make each human being, each American that chooses to go into harm’s way, that much more effective, but use tools like AI and autonomy to manage their cognitive workload, make sure they’re not overwhelmed,” Gentile said.
For most people, seeing is believing. And both companies have plenty of working examples of their technology. So why aren’t they being introduced to the Department of Defense on a larger scale right now? According to Tseng, it’s a matter of resourcing.
“It’s not a technology problem,” Tseng said. “It’s a budget. It’s a resourcing. It’s a programming problem in terms of getting this capability out as fast as possible.”
Once those issues are overcome, Tseng thinks the change for operators in combat will be evident immediately.
“AI pilots paired with affordable aircraft is the most strategic conventional deterrent, since really, you know, the introduction of aircraft carriers,” Tseng said.
Earlier this month, Shield AI inked a deal with NAV-AIR to put its AI in the Kratos BQM-177A, a sub-sonic aerial target.
Meanwhile, EpiSci landed a Small Business Innovation Research award for an AI-aided satellite project that, if successful, will help sense hypersonic vehicles and missiles.
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