AI

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning(ML) in space applications will be significant, It has been interesting to see how AI has made great progress just in time to be usefully deployable in Space.

SpaceX has a big advantage over any other organisation with maybe the exception of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that has study AI for its Mars rovers, SpaceX is using AI apps for simulations for rocket engine designs etc.

What is known as Narrow AI (abbreviated to ANI) has been extensively developed by Elon Musk's (SpaceX CEO) in one of his other companies 'Tesla' that in working towards fully autonomous Cars and Trucks both the software and Hardware including building its own custom AI chips, the applications here will directly help with construction and mining vehicles on Mars and later on in in space Construction. Elon's Boring company will no doubt use AI on Mars for building underground.

SpaceX has looked into an automated flyby of the Moon on a Falcon Heavy carrying two passengers (delayed until BFS is developed)

SpaceX AI could have other benefits to rocket operations such as docking systems that improve in the same way Tesla cars, Onboard Ship Environmental systems that learn to improve the vital life support resources in flight to Mars.

Structural integrity Monitoring, SpaceX Falcon 9 already has an Autonomous Flight Safety System(AFSS) to command to destroy errant boosters, AI could help improve this to cover additional information to try and correct any problems to the rocket's trajectory without having to auto destruct the rocket.

SpaceX uses deep learning/Machine Learning(ML) to constantly optimize F9 landings and in future BFS and BFR landings.

Space Suits are a prime target for AI where the can learn to optimise the suits environment for each person as every person has slightly different requirements also the suit needs to monitor their vital signs where again the AI can look out for individual warning signs, learning for each person their particular tell tail constraints and give appropriate warnings.

It will be interesting to see how this develops and what human overrides will be incorporated such as telling the suit to go to its default suit settings rather than the personal settings it has learnt.

It will also be interesting to see how two or more different AI's will interact when affecting the same possible scenarios.

The initial use will be ANI but as AGI General Artificial Intelligence matures (Self learning AI not requiring large labeled data sets) that can be repurposed will have significant benefits particularly on totally unforeseen issues on Mars.

AGI and Local Mars database search will require racks of servers to be transported to Mars, if this hardware was available on Mars then local apps for mineral, geological, chemical and medical analysis would also benefit from this local AI capability.

Mars satellite remote prospecting and also communications network may also use some level of AI, Mars' low atmosphere ideally allows for low orbit survey and internet swarms of small satellites.

Finally Elon Musk has another company called Neuralink that is working on connecting humans directly to computers and AI's this could turn out to be a very useful and practical particularly in space and on Mars.

Teaching on Mars will be done by versatile AI and VR based courses that will precisely monitor every colonist to encourage them in the best way for them to be as useful as possible and be enthused with a passion for knowledge. every emotional response will be used to adjust the learning for each individual.

Eventually on Mars learning may be direct by the computer to brain interfaces using Elon Musk's Neuralink interface currently being developed.

NOTE

The use of Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) programed by humans CANNOT become the Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) that Elon Musk is so worried about that is based on advanced self programming Artificial General Intelligence becoming what is called the Singularity.