Afterward, they fly with a perfect operational record. The Skynet Funding Bill is passed. The system goes on-line August 4th, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug. Skynet fights back.
I think drones are mostly remotely piloted with limited autonomy (something like a specifically programmable autopilot), this sounds like it has AI making piloting decisions around general commands from a ground or airborn controller as the only control, more like an AI replacement for a human pilot than traditional drones.
