Fighter Jets Take To The Skies - U.S. Air Force Is Pushing The Envelope On AI-Based Weapons With New Unmanned Fighter Jets - Paperblog

Fighter Jets Take To The Skies centers on how the U.S. Air Force is pushing AI-based weapons into the next generation of unmanned fighter aircraft through its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. On Wednesday, the Air Force said it selected contract winners to build the software and hardware needed to integrate AI capabilities into new airframes, amid an AI arms-race dynamic involving China. One AI-piloted prototype highlighted is the FQ-42 from General Atomics. The company stated it has been building CCA-related aircraft ahead of contract award, with work already underway and funded by the U.S. defense budget. The effort also faces ethical concerns about lethal decisions being made without meaningful human control. Human Rights Watch previously warned against weapon systems that engage targets without such control.