Mars mining AI

The need for sealed environments for growing enough food resources to feed the colonists will require a lot of ISU resources to be mined.

Mining is one example that will need at least AGI sooner rather than later.

Robotic mining and construction giving the very tough working conditions on Mars are going to be a very important part of boot strapping the resources to build a colony and then a city. Today Elon is working on autonomous vehicles and robots these require what's called Narrow ANI but for mining equipment to function it will need AGI, for instance there are no well marked out roads, Mars colonists will need to maximise this very dangerous work which is particularly not safe for space suited humans, The robotic mining will need to automatically recognise terrain for mineral resources and find the safest ways to excavate the required resources and then deliver them back to processing plants. Human Remote control of such complex vehicles would not be a wise use of manpower. Admittedly narrow AI can help with simple repetitive work manufacturing solar panels and their robotic deployment etc, yet again the raw resources to create the Solar panels for the Mega Watts of power required will also need the efficient safe use of such AGI robotic extraction.

I am unsure of Elon's proposals for Rocket fuels but again that may be an area benefiting from this form of mining.

Examples of Autonomous ANI Vehicles

Rock driller

Autonomous Dumper Truck