The Air Force plans to test an AI copilot on its cargo planes
Kelsey D. Atherton - Yesterday 7:00 PM
The company behind the tech is called Merlin Labs. Here's how the system works.
On July 13, Boston’s Merlin Labs announced that it would be working with the US Air Force to add autonomy to the C-130J Super Hercules cargo transport plane. Merlin’s technology is a kind of advanced auto-copilot, designed to take over the responsibilities of one crew member in flight while being supervised by a human pilot. If the technology delivers as promised, it will allow planes that normally fly with two human pilots to operate with just one, and could even allow single-seater planes to fly fully autonomously.
The same day that Merlin announced its partnership with the Air Force, it also announced a second round of $105 million in funding, which combined with a first round means the company has $130 million of runway to develop its technologies. (In Air Force terms, $130 million is enough money to buy one F-35A and have some change left over.)
This funding, says Merlin Labs CEO Matthew George, will help the company continue to develop “the world's most capable, safest and flexible pilot, that will eventually enable very large aircraft to fly with reduced crew and small aircraft to fly totally uncrewed.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-air-force-plans-to-test-an-ai-copilot-on-its-cargo-planes/ar-AAZAsFa?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=2ab0c9842e704c199d6a52c99445d190
