US Air Force Requests 2000 AI-Powered Aircraft (1)
The Air Force is eyeing a cool $5.8 billion over five years to craft between 1,000 and 2,000 AI-powered, unmanned XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft. These high-tech buddies are designed to be the ultimate wingmen for human pilots, even taking on those risky missions where humans might not come back. Later this year, they'll be put to the test over the Gulf of Mexico, where they'll strategize on how to chase down and eliminate a target.
Welcome to next season’s plot of Black Mirror… this is some scary stuff. UN Secretary-General António Guterres in 2019 that "machines with the power and discretion to take lives without human involvement are politically unacceptable, morally repugnant and should be prohibited by international law." How can you be sure the AI won’t go rogue?
For those keeping score, the Valkyrie can hit speeds of 550 mph and soar at 45,000 feet. But not everyone's on board with this futuristic firepower. Human rights advocates are sounding the alarm, fearing we're on the brink of a "Terminator"-esque future. They're concerned about the ethics of letting machines, not humans, decide when to take a life.
We recall this article where 42% of Fortune 100 CEOs say AI may end humanity within the next 5-10 years.
