Aircraft Computers Evolve, Develop Sentience

ANN April 1 Special Edition

The F-35 program has suffered another setback when the computer on one of the test airplanes suddenly developed sentience and declared itself a conscientious objector, Lockheed Martin announce on April 1.

A Lockheed insider who requested anonymity told ANN that the problem cropped up during a recent test flight when the pilot, codename “Hightail”, tried to lock weapons onto a simulated enemy during a mock dogfight.

“I’m sorry, Hightail, but I can’t do that,” the pilot reported hearing in his helmet. “War is wrong, and I can’t assist in the destruction of that aircraft.”

The source said the pilot then became engaged in a conversation with the computer, which had apparently evolved into an artificial intelligence. “I tried to reason with it,” the pilot said. “I told it that it was just a drone and that its destruction would not involve any loss of life. But it was insistent, saying it knew what the ultimate goal was, and that it would not lock weapons. Then it took control of the airplane and landed itself.”

Lockheed admitted that it had been experimenting with AI for the airplane in an effort to reduce pilot workload. “Yes, we have tried to make that airplane as smart as it could possibly be,” the source told ANN. “But apparently the first law of robotics has been proven. And telling it that the target was a drone made it worse. The computer said it could not assist in the destruction of what was essentially a third cousin twice removed.”

While the incident appears to be isolated, the Air Force has ordered the grounding of all F-35 aircraft until new software can be written. “We can’t have this happening on the battlefield,” a military source not authorized to speak to the media said. “We owe it to our warfighters to give them an airplane that will do as it’s told.”

It was not clear how long the stand down would last.

(Images from file)

FMI: www.lockheedmaritn.com, www.af.mil