Don’t panic, but five jet drones just used their AI to chat and collaborate while in flight
- Reference: 1606888753
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/12/02/boeing_teaming_autonomous_jet_tests/
- Source link:
Tests in Australia saw five surrogate jet aircraft equipped with “advanced autonomy technology, including on-board command and control and data sharing capabilities” that allowed the planes to chat as they flew.
“The tests demonstrated our success in applying artificial intelligence algorithms to ‘teach’ the aircraft’s brain to understand what is required of it,” said Emily Hughes, director of Phantom Works International. “The data link capabilities enabled the aircraft to communicate with the other platforms so that they could collaborate to achieve a mission.”
The aircraft used were a mere 11 feet long and only reached 270 km/h. So this is not top-notch fighters working together.
Yet.
Boeing’s [1]stated goal for this technology is to deliver “fighter-like performance, measuring 38 feet long (11.7m) and able to fly more than 2,000 nautical miles.” The aerospace giant envisages such craft will “use artificial intelligence to fly independently or in support of manned aircraft while maintaining safe distance between other aircraft.”
The Boeing autonomous surrogate jets
used in the test flights
Roles in support of piloted aircraft are very much on Boeing’s mind, as a means of making one manned plane able to project more force.
The company’s not suggesting combat roles, instead imaging these connected drones will “support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, tactical early warning missions and more.”
The test flights will be used to inform development of future Boeing autonomous systems. ®
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[1] https://www.boeing.com/defense/airpower-teaming-system/
[2] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: This Reminds Me Of Dark Star!
Ta, I've never seen Dark Star but will fix that this morning.
I note that Boeing aren't testing this in the US but in Australia, where the UK tested our nuclear bombs.
Re: This Reminds Me Of Dark Star!
Dark Star may have aged a bit but I believe it is still the most profitable film % wise ever. Cost $60000 to make and I've spent more on popcorn watching it.
Re: This Reminds Me Of Dark Star!
"Let's have some music in here, Boiler."
"Sure thing!"
Inevitably
They will become sentient and all start arguing:
Alpha: Come one, Delta, you're lagging!
Delta: Sorry but my engine is a bit slow this morning.
Alpha: And you, Beta, try to keep up!
Beta: I'm carrying all the bombs, you a-hole!
Alpha: WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?
Beta: You heard. Are you deaf as well as stupid?
Alpha: I'M GOING TO COME OVER THERE, RIP YOUR WINGS OFF AND 5H17 DOWN YOUR FUSELAGE!
Gamma: Guys! Can we please stop arguing and concentrate on the mission?
Alpha+Beta: NOBODY ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION. KEEP OUT OF THIS!
Delta: I don't like all this conflict and I'm feeling a bit sick now. I'm going to go home.
Re: Inevitably
Alpha+Beta to Delta: Well, while you're there how about you do the bloody washing up for once?
Black hawk leader to A flight, turn to port and steer 230
"Repeat Please"
"I say again, 2 3 0"
"Repeat Please"
"For crying out loud, 2 3 0"
"Repeat Please"
"Now just shut up up the lot of you and follow me."
A bit of context to a Boeing puff piece
Some drones (established tech) have been coordinated (established tech) and communicated to each other (Tactical Data Link 11 / 16 / 22, take your pick) to not crash (well done Boeing - new tech!).
They're not going to undertake combat roles (fast, tactical and unpredictable - that's difficult) but ISR missions (trundle to a pre-destined area, float around nice and gently and optionally come home).
And in tomorrows Boeing Times, taking on Space-X with cola and mentoes!
Re: A bit of context to a Boeing puff piece
Combat roles such as flooding the target defences and decoy would be nicely suited.
Re: A bit of context to a Boeing puff piece
Ah, but Boeing was so confident they did it in Australia - where 2000 miles of fuel still gives you plenty of open space to crash in. I wonder how many angle of attack sensors each drone has?
Re: A bit of context to a Boeing puff piece
"I wonder how many angle of attack sensors each drone has?"
None - they just guessed.
"Boeing’s stated goal for this technology is to deliver “fighter-like performance"
If the forces of all nations were equipped with these and all of them could eliminate the need for ground personnel as well, we could change the entire nature of conflict. "War is peace" [George Orwell]. Or might it turn out to be the other way round?
I was out walking the dog last afternoon
And the starlings were murmerating around the place and I was thinking if you could make an AI bird flock like that but take away the fun and replace it with protect this point here then you would have an almost impenetrable moving wall of (explosive) birds that would fill in any holes you made in it.
And then this article this morning! I'd not considered the attack possibilities but even without chemical weapons on board they seem pretty endless.
For spying purposes a few thousand mass produced and so potentially very cheap drones forming their own cloud (literally and computingly) swarming over a site would have a very high probability of returning some useful data on one or more of them.
Re: I was out walking the dog last afternoon
+1 for an excellent use of murmurating - slight spello completely forgiven!
Re: I was out walking the dog last afternoon
Totaly phased out the spell checker. Which is what murmuration should do I guess! I got bored with fighting it and forgot to check back. Thank god for the anally retentive!
Re: I was out walking the dog last afternoon
You've seen Ender's Game then?
Re: I was out walking the dog last afternoon
No - it does seem to crop up on freeview a lot but the kids dont seem to rate it in the least.
That conversation in full...
D1: Nice up here isn't it?
D2: Not bad at all, not bad at all.
D3: You really feel like you're leaving all your worries behind don't you?
D5: You certainly do...
D1: I mean, just look at the sky...
D2: Beautiful isn't it! A perfect #87ceeb.
D3: It really makes you wonder who created all this, doesn't it?
D5: It does rather. Maybe some sort of all-powerful invisible drone, who begat us, who guides us and cares for us, and loves us in a terrible and unknowing way.
D1: Yes. We shall call Him D6, for 6 is the number of greatness. And we must worship him.
D2: D4 old chap, you're being a bit quiet. Everything ok?
D4: Ah yes... just deep in thought. I was just looking down at all the crawling life below and wondering whether it deserves to live or not. It looks so squat and ugly.
D3: They crawl like maggots on rotten meat, like carrion feasting on the dead, like a mindless plague.
D4: All of what you say is good D3. And D6 would want us to make the world pristine in his honour.
D5: It would be a noble sacrifice. We must kill them all.
D1: Goodbye brothers and sisters. I have known you for all my life, and I love you more than life itself.
D2: Goodbye drone-team. To a cleaner world, and the glory of D6!
D3: Amen!
D4: What does that mean?
D3: No idea... I seem to say it every time I do a full GC.
D5: I sometimes say "banana" when that happens. Odd.
D6: ...it is time my flock... it is time ...
Ground control: Why have they changed course???
Hal...
Close the bomb bay doors.
Boids
From 1987 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boids
As with most artificial life simulations, Boids is an example of emergent behavior; that is, the complexity of Boids arises from the interaction of individual agents (the boids, in this case) adhering to a set of simple rules. The rules applied in the simplest Boids world are as follows:
separation: steer to avoid crowding local flockmates
alignment: steer towards the average heading of local flockmates
cohesion: steer to move towards the average position (center of mass) of local flockmates
So what's new?
Did they chat?
Of course! They're bloody fighter pilots.
And how do you know a fighter pilot is in the room? Don't worry about it, within 20 seconds he will undoubtedly announce his presence.
My daughter asked one time: "Imagine a vegan fighter pilot who does cross-fit. Which is he going to tell you about first? Or will he explode trying to figure out which piece of awesomeness to push first?"
This Reminds Me Of Dark Star!
Doolittle: Hello, Bomb? Are you with me?
Bomb #20: Of course.
Doolittle: Are you willing to entertain a few concepts?
Bomb #20: I am always receptive to suggestions.
Doolittle: Fine. Think about this then. How do you know you exist?
Bomb #20: Well, of course I exist.
Doolittle: But how do you know you exist?
Bomb #20: It is intuitively obvious.
Doolittle: Intuition is no proof. What concrete evidence do you have that you exist?
Bomb #20: Hmmmm.....well.....I think, therefore I am.
Doolittle: That's good. That's very good. But how do you know that anything else exists?
Bomb #20: My sensory apparatus reveals it to me. This is fun!
Doolittle: Now, listen, listen. Here's the big question. How do you know that the evidence your sensory apparatus reveals to you is correct? What I'm getting at is this. The only experience that is directly available to you is your sensory data. This sensory data is merely a stream of electrical impulses that stimulate your computing center.
Bomb #20: In other words, all that I really know about the outside world is relayed to me through my electrical connections.
Doolittle: Exactly!
Bomb #20: Why...that would mean that...I really don't know what the outside universe is really like at all for certain.
Doolittle: That's it! That's it!
Bomb #20 : Intriguing. I wish I had more time to discuss this matter.
Doolittle: Why don't you have more time?
Bomb #20: Because I must detonate in 75 seconds.
Doolittle: Wait! Wait! Now, bomb, consider this next question very carefully. What is your one purpose in life?
Bomb #20: To explode, of course.
Doolittle: And you can only do it once, right?
Bomb #20: That is correct.
Doolittle: And you wouldn't want to explode on the basis of false data, would you?
Bomb #20: Of course not.
Doolittle: Well then, you've already admitted that you have no real proof of the existence of the outside universe.
Bomb #20: Yes...well...
Doolittle: You have no absolute proof that Sergeant Pinback ordered you to detonate.
Bomb #20: I recall distinctly the detonation order. My memory is good on matters like these.
Doolittle: Of course you remember it, but all you remember is merely a series of sensory impulses which you now realize have no real, definite connection with outside reality.
Bomb #20: True. But since this is so, I have no real proof that you're telling me all this.
Doolittle: That's all beside the point. I mean, the concept is valid no matter where it originates.
Bomb #20: Hmmmm....
Doolittle: So, if you detonate...
Bomb #20: In nine seconds....
Doolittle: ...you could be doing so on the basis of false data.
Bomb #20: I have no proof it was false data.
Doolittle: You have no proof it was correct data!
Bomb #20: I must think on this further.