US Air Force Officer Says Rogue AI Drone Simulation 'Thought Experiment,' Not Real Test

A simulation reportedly conducted by the US Air Force involving the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) systems to go rogue on their operators was actually a thought experiment and not a real-world test, the Royal Aeronautical Society said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2023) A simulation reportedly conducted by the US Air Force involving the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) systems to go rogue on their operators was actually a thought experiment and not a real-world test, the Royal Aeronautical Society said on Friday.

On Thursday, reports circulated regarding a presentation by US Air Force Colonel Tucker Hamilton at a summit held by the Royal Aeronautical Society, in which he described AI-enabled drones targeting the human operators capable of overriding the system.

"We've never run that experiment, nor would we need to in order to realise that this is a plausible outcome," Hamilton later clarified, according to an update published by the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Hamilton admits he "misspoke" during the summit presentation, now describing the rogue AI situation as a hypothetical "thought experiment" rather than a real-world US Air Force simulation event, the update said.

The US Air Force has not tested any weaponized AI systems, real or simulated, in such a manner, Hamilton said.

The hypothetical situation illustrates "real-world challenges" posed by AI-enabled capabilities and why the US Air Force is committed to the ethical development of AI technology, Hamilton said.