U.S. Air Force The U.S. Air Force’s Skyborg autonomous AI flew an aircraft by itself for the first time. Skyborg is designed to take human orders and translate them into action, flying a plane alongside human-flown aircraft. The Skyborg system will someday see a fighter jet pilot giving orders to multiple AI-powered aircraft, having them perform dangerous or monotonous jobs without human interaction. The U.S. Air Force just took a major step toward a future crowded with AI-powered warplanes. Late last month, the Air Force’s new Skyborg Autonomy Core System (ACS) flew a pilotless drone over Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, proving the AI could adhere to basic flight commands. The system will eventually lead to high-speed drones, powered by Skyborg, equipped with sensors, weapons, and other payloads to accomplish lonely—and dangerous—jobs that manned fighters used to carry out.