Researchers in China have enabled an innovative technique to launch satellites – using artificial intelligence (AI). As published in the journal Geomatics and Information Science of Wuhan University, a team from the State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping, and Remote Sensing put their AI-powered Qimingxing 1 satellite into orbit in order to assess how AI could improve its Earth observation capabilities. In short, they wanted the AI-operated satellite to select the most important geographic regions – such as oceans, rivers and cities – swiftly and accurately.
The experiment was a success – the AI-controlled satellite was able to take pictures of Earth and pinpointed interesting locations such as Patna, India and Osaka, Japan. Both spots are of particular importance – Patna is home to an Indian Army regiment which underwent a clash with China’s military in 2020. On the other hand, the Japanese city hosts US Navy vessels navigating the Pacific.
This experiment raises several issues, such as the presence of a collective intelligence in the AI, its autonomy and its possible application for surveillance purposes. Because the AI took photos of these particular spots without being directed to do so, some experts have questioned whether the satellite had motives of its own. Furthermore, artificial intelligence companies may be called upon to create AI-powered satellites for surveillance purposes.
The research team has also commented on the use of the term ‘AI’. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, pointed the overuse of the term AI – which loses meaning when used inaccurately. When it comes to this experiment, he wonders what ‘AI-ness’ the satellite had, or if it was merely a regular computer program carrying out its duties.
Despite AI-controlled satellites being relatively new, some companies have already sought ways to leverage the technology. Last year, Airbnb’s machine learning software was integrated into ION, a satellite carrier designed by Italian company D-Orbit and Swedish start-up Unibap.
All in all, contrary to popular belief, the AI satellite test was not as far as having AI-navigated satellites flying randomly around but more of a way to program a satellite to be more efficient in its Earth imaging. To answer what AI-controlled satellites will be used for in the future and the extent of their use for surveillance, only time will tell.
