Microsoft Is Training AI Gliders to Fly Themselves
Last week in the Nevada desert, Microsoft researchers threw a glider into the air, then left it to its own devices hoping that it would fly for hours. But they’re not as foolhardy as they sound: the New York Times reports that their Styrofoam aircraft is loaded with AI to study data from onboard sensors, predict conditions, and seek out thermals to keep it aloft. The long-term goal: to have the aircraft fly for days to track weather or deliver Internet to rural areas. That's much like the aim of Alphabet’s Project Loon, which also uses AI to help control its stratospheric balloons. But the Loon balloons can only use inflation to move up or down: Microsoft’s glider has far more decisions (and turns) to make in order to stay aloft.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.