In a groundbreaking display of autonomous flight, an AI-powered drone has officially outperformed elite human pilots at one of the world’s most advanced drone racing events, hosted at ADNEC Marina Hall.

Organized by the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) in collaboration with the Drone Champions League (DCL), the high-stakes competition showcased the future of aerial robotics. The A2RL is a pioneering initiative launched under the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), aimed at advancing the frontiers of autonomous systems.

A total of 14 international teams representing top universities, research institutes, and deep-tech startups from countries including the UAE, Netherlands, Austria, South Korea, the US, and more, competed in the finals for a share of the $1 million prize pool.

The standout performer of the event was MavLab from the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands. MavLab dominated three out of four main categories, including the AI Grand Challenge, where their autonomous drone completed two laps of a 170-metre course in just 17 seconds.

In a historic highlight, MavLab’s drone also defeated three top DCL human pilots in a direct AI vs. human race, showcasing superior speed, precision, and reaction time. The result marks a major milestone in the evolution of AI-driven robotics, where autonomous systems are not just learning from humans — they're starting to surpass them.