Robert Brovdi, commander of the special Madyar's Birds drone unit, said in the next six to eight months, human pilots won't be needed.Stanislav Ivanov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty ImagesUkrainian drones won't need operators in as little as six months, a Ukrainian commander said.Artificial intelligence-enabled drones are being rapidly developed, tested, and deployed.It's an important development in the ongoing drone arms race between Russia and Ukraine.In just a matter of months, Ukraine may no longer need pilots for its drone force, a special drone unit commander said recently.The expected shift towards autonomous and artificial intelligence-enabled systems would mark an important development in the continued drone arms race between Russia and Ukraine.In as little as six months, Ukraine's drone force could shift to AI systems, Robert Brovdi, the founder and commander of the "Madyar Birds" special drone unit, said in a conversation with The Economist earlier this month.