AI revolutionizes search for extraterrestrial intelligence
Bill Diamond, the CEO of the Seti Institute, states that there are potentially habitable worlds numbering between 10 and 50 billion in our galaxy, posing a challenging task for his organization. Seti, an acronym for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, seeks scientific and technological evidence of life beyond the solar system, likening the endeavor to finding a needle in a haystack due to the rarity and difficulty of extracting such evidence from background phenomena.
Despite the daunting nature of the search, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are aiding the quest. The capability of AI to manage vast datasets and identify anomalies is revolutionizing the pursuit of alien intelligence. An example of this collaboration involves Seti Institute partnering with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico to implement an AI-powered software system for the Very Large Array, a radio astronomy facility.
Mr. Diamond emphasizes the increasing indispensability of AI in Seti’s efforts to discover alien life. The use of AI extends to projects such as the analysis of rock samples for signs of past or present life by the Carnegie Institution for Science. This application achieved an accuracy of nearly 90%, distinguishing between former living and non-living material.
AI also enhances the search for extraterrestrial signals, enabling the exploration of wideband radio signals that traditional methods might overlook. The Breakthrough Listen project, another collaboration with Seti, scans a million stars and 100 galaxies using AI to differentiate between potential signals from aliens and interference.
Furthermore, AI aids in the examination of data collected by Nasa’s Perseverance rover on Mars, processing an immense amount of data – two terabytes per second. The AI system, still in its early stages, holds the potential to analyze samples from Earth and Mars, with the ultimate goal of detecting signs of life, whether on planets, moons like Enceladus, or other celestial bodies. Despite ongoing efforts, the progress in the search for alien life is currently measured more in the scale of the endeavor than in concrete results, according to Mr. Diamond.
