Boeing has introduced the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, an unmanned aircraft that according to the manufacturer will provide “fighter-like performance,” and uses sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) to “fly independently or in support of manned aircraft,” while being able to “support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and electronic warfare.”
While the current version of the aircraft, which was developed for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), is unarmed, reports imply that its release marks a dangerous step toward autonomous weapons, as the AI-controlled fighter jet could be adjusted to carry weapons and to use these independently.
Read more: Don’t mean to alarm you, but Boeing has built an unmanned fighter jet called ‘Loyal Wingman’