However, some experts question the cost-effectiveness of these drones compared to cheaper alternatives. Mary L. “Missy” Cummings, a roboticist at George Mason University, criticizes attempts to use robots for dogfights, arguing that the U.S. military should be shooting at enemy targets from many miles away. She supports the idea of pairing pilots with drone sidekicks, but suggests that AI should be used for setting up routes and directing other craft, rather than for actual flying.
Key takeaways:
- The "loyal wingman" concept, where a human pilot supervises AI-guided drones, is being pursued by many countries including Russia, China, India, Japan, Australia, and the United States. The U.S. Air Force is preparing to move beyond research to an operational concept.
- The XQ-58A Valkyrie, an AI-enabled drone made by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, offers a good performance-to-price ratio. The unit cost of production for the Valkyrie should be around $4 million at a production rate of 50 drones per year, or $2 million if produced at twice that rate.
- The Valkyrie drone poses a serious threat as it cruises at airliner speed, has a range of 5,600 kilometers, can carry not just bombs but also small drones, and it’s stealthy. It can calculate maneuvers at superhuman speed even during high-g maneuvers that no pilot could withstand.
- Mary L. “Missy” Cummings, a roboticist at George Mason University, criticizes attempts to use robots to win dogfights and suggests that AI should be used in setting up routes and spatially arranging the aircraft for maximum coverage. She also criticizes the military for trying to force emerging technology into familiar patterns.