Phantom Works Will Manage Strategic Collaboration

Boeing and Shield AI have signed an MoU aimed at exploring strategic collaboration in AI and autonomy for current and future defence programmes, the companies announced on 8 March.

Signed at the Air Force Association Warfare Symposium, the agreement will be managed by Boeing Phantom Works. “Boeing continues to leverage talent from across the enterprise to make great strides in autonomous capabilities and programs in recent years,” offered Steve Nordlund, VP/GM for Boeing’s Air Dominance organisation. “Collaborating with Shield AI, the leader in AI pilots, will accelerate our ability to deliver these capabilities to the warfighter.”

Shield AI created Hivemind, an AI pilot that has flown a variety of aircraft and, the company claims, can also enable swarms of drones and aircraft to operate autonomously without GPS, communications or a human pilot in the cockpit. “AI pilots are the most strategic deterrent technology since the introduction of stealth aircraft and have proven successful in flying air-combat scenarios” explained Brandon Tseng, Shield AI President. “Integrating Boeing aircraft with our AI pilot would redefine what large aircraft, crewed or uncrewed, could do […] Boeing has been exceptionally easy to engage with, so we are excited to expand our scope of work to co-develop, productize and bring to market the world’s best AI pilot for large aircraft.”