Follow the journey of AI in military aviation, from initial concepts in the lab to flight testing. On the outskirts of the Mojave Desert at Edwards’ Test Pilot School, a revolution is taking place in AI-piloted aircraft. The one-of-a-kind X-62A VISTA in-flight simulator provides a sandbox for flight-testing AI technologies in a controlled setting. AI progress is iterative, and each flight reveals new capabilities and shortcomings. As AI technology progresses towards operationality, the stakes of lethal AI are so high that we’ve got to get it right.

Directed by Cray Novick. Hosted by Tracy LaTourrette. Full Credits on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14544576

More Behind the Wings on PBS:
https://youtu.be/UuqJuBxqA-0
https://youtu.be/H27D1AzmAvE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMaDLTGnaPU&t=9s

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum: https://wingsmuseum.org

Behind the Wings Podcast: https://wingsmuseum.org/resources/podcasts

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:36 Test Pilot School
03:49 History of AI
04:27 Ethics
05:17 Secretary of the Air Force
06:36 The Question of Trust
08:00 Simulator to Flight Testing
09:14 The X-62A VISTA
12:36 Into the Cockpit
14:24 Flight Brief
15:26 Flight Test
19:15 Opportunities
22:02 Risks
25:07 The Future
25:56 Outro