Imagine fighter jets zipping around at 600mph, just 30 feet off the ground, but with no pilot inside! That's the future the US Air Force is planning for, with a swarm of 1,000 mini fighter jets controlled by super-smart AI instead of humans.
These "ghost jets" would be much cheaper than today's high-tech fighters (think $10 million each, compared to $100 million for an F-35!) and way more maneuverable. They wouldn't risk human pilots on super-dangerous missions either.
Big companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin are scrambling to win a giant $6 billion contract to build these jets. While some fighter pilots might be worried about losing their jobs to robots, the AI is there to help, not replace them. At least for now, these AI jets will work alongside human pilots, acting as wingmen or scouts.
The coolest part? This AI is so good, a single person on the ground could control a whole swarm of these jets using a special program called Hivemind. Imagine hundreds of little fighter jets working together like a flock of birds, but way more dangerous!
This new tech is all about keeping the US Air Force ahead of the game, especially against countries like China. One thing that is unclear is how much thought is being given to the idea of AI weapons making their own decisions about firing missiles.
