A supercomputer is training AI agents. They will replace humans in fighter jets

As the newspaper recalls, in the summer of 2025, a stir was caused by information regarding the use of AI software by the Swedish group Saab to pilot the Gripen E aircraft. In simulated engagements, it proved to be more effective than human pilots at times. At that time, the tests were made possible through cooperation with the German defence technology company Helsing, in which Saab has invested.

Now, thanks to the launch of its own Sferical AI supercomputer, the manufacturer of the Gripen has its own AI agents at its disposal, trained to pilot aircraft and conduct aerial combat. According to Peter Nilsson, head of next-generation airborne systems development, who was quoted by the newspaper, „artificial pilots” can undergo many times the training cycle that a human completes.

The role of AI pilots is to support human pilots of traditional combat aircraft during missions and, in certain situations, to take over flight control. These systems can also control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed to operate without a human on board.

During the centenary celebrations of the Swedish Air Force in August, Saab presented an unmanned aircraft, the A3-001 model. The concept demonstrated what an AI-controlled unmanned combat aircraft could look like in a few years. It is assumed that the maiden flight of the first machine will take place before 2030.

Such aircraft could operate in the air alongside manned Gripens. This means – as Svenska Dagbladet notes – that in the future, the role of military pilots may change. They could serve as mission commanders, leaders who stay back while AI-controlled machines carry out the most hazardous tasks.

Nilsson emphasised that AI agents understand their environment and do not require detailed instructions from the pilot.

The Sferical AI supercomputer was officially inaugurated in mid-October in the city of Linköping, south of Stockholm, where Saab’s facilities are located. The investment is backed by companies of the Wallenbergs, the famous Swedish billionaire family, such as Saab, AstraZeneca, Ericsson, and SEB, with the Swedish manufacturer of bearings, SKF, acting as a strategic partner.

The ceremony was attended by Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, whose systems were used to build the supercomputer.