Will airmen trust AI? The Air Force's future plans depend on it

Air Force leaders say wider use of artificial intelligence will depend on operators trusting systems that increasingly assist or automate operational decisions. The service plans to field 500 highly autonomous collaborative combat aircraft by 2032, while psychologists and behavioral scientists in the 711th Human Performance Wing study effective human-machine teaming. Potential applications range from decision support to AI agents that accelerate approvals for defensive cyber or counter-drone actions, raising questions about acceptable risk and human control. Officials and industry executives argue that predictable performance must be reinforced through testing, doctrine, training and clearly defined permissions before autonomy expands.