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Computer brains have beaten the world’s top players in complex board games such as chess and Go. It’s sad but true.

Less well known, but in some ways far more important, is that artificial intelligence software is proving a formidable opponent against humans in the military realm.

The Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio conducted dogfight simulations in which Gene Lee, an Air Force battle manager, tested his combat skills against a drone enabled by an artificial intelligence program. The drone won, using a calculation ability dramatically faster than that of humans.

“It seemed to be aware of my intentions and reacted instantly to my changes in flight and my missile deployment,” said Lee, a retired colonel. “It moved instantly between defensive and offensive actions as needed.”

It’s in our national security interest to get the computer brains on our side. Technologists and military experts say this will mean taking major steps toward machine “autonomy” — weapons and cyber programs that think for themselves while operating in coordinated action with humans.