The final round of DARPA’s AlphaDogfight Trial is complete, and once again, the winning AI pilot celebrated its victory against a field of virtual contenders by going on to defeat a human F-16 pilot. An AI pilot developed by Heron Systems won the shootout, defeating a fellow AI from Lockheed.
All of the simulated fighter battles were restricted to allow use of the nose cannon only, and after the AI vs. AI matches, an anonymous human pilot entered the competition, wearing a VR helmet. The Heron Systems AI defeated him 5 - 0, although he was able to change tactics and survive significantly longer in the final round. Commentators noted the AI’s “superhuman” aiming ability produced an edge even as the simulated F-16s circled low to the ground at high speed and would’ve experienced extreme G forces.