Chinese fighter pilots have been battling aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence in simulated dogfights to boost pilot combat skills, Chinese med

China says its fighter pilots are battling AI aircraft in simulated dogfights, and humans aren't the only ones learning

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2021-06-26 03:30:03

Chinese fighter pilots have been battling aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence in simulated dogfights to boost pilot combat skills, Chinese media reported this week.

Fang Guoyu, a People's Liberation Army Air Force brigade flight team leader and pilot recognized for his skills, was recently "shot down" by an AI adversary in an air-to-air combat simulation, according to People's Liberation Army Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese military.

He said that early in the training it was easy to defeat the AI adversary. But with each round of combat, the AI reportedly learned from its human opponent. After one fight that Fang won with a bit of skillful flying, the AI came back and used the same tactics against him, defeating him.

"It's like a digital 'Golden Helmet' pilot that excels at learning, assimilating, reviewing, and researching," Fang said, referring to the elite pilots who emerge victorious in China's Golden Helmet air-combat contests. "The move with which you defeated it today will be in its hands tomorrow."

It "is skilled at handling the aircraft and makes flawless tactical decisions," he said, characterizing the AI adversary as a useful tool for "sharpening the sword" because it forces the Chinese pilots to get creative.