NASA's AI drone raced a human pilot, and we're officially living in a sci-fi movie

NASA just tested the limits of artificial and human intelligence by pitting an AI-operated drone against one flown by a man.

The test was supported in part by Google-funded research and took place at an indoor track in Pasadena, CA. The drones flew at speeds of approximately 40 miles per hour. The opponents completed multiple races.

To ensure the race was as evenly matched as possible, scientists enlisted pilot Ken Loo (aka FlyingBear), who participates in the International Drone Racing League.

At first, Loo was no match for his AI opponent. "This is definitely the densest track I've ever flown," Loo said in a press statement.

The AI drone appeared to learn the course quicker, enabling it to win the first few races. However, as the experiment went on, Loo caught up.

Intuition plays a significant role in flying. Once Loo got the hang of navigating the track, he got more creative with it — which ultimately gave him an advantage over the AI.

Rob Reid of NASA's Jet Propulsion Labratory, the project's task manager, said, "You can actually see that the AI flies the drone smoothly around the course, whereas human pilots tend to accelerate aggressively, so their path is jerkier."

That's part of the feel of flying. And the computer isn't programmed for that ... yet.