How AI is helping the search for extraterrestrial life - BBC News

Artificial intelligence software is being used to look for signs of alien lifeforms.

14 hours agocommentsCommentsShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Very Large Array facility in New Mexico is searching for signs of alien lifeBy Emma WoollacottBusiness reporterThere are between 10 and 50 billion potentially habitable worlds in our galaxy, says Bill Diamond. It makes his job rather difficult.

Mr Diamond is the chief executive of the US-based research organisation Seti Institute. The letters "Seti" are an acronym for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

"Seti, as an endeavour, is looking for science and technology beyond the solar system as evidence of life and intelligence, and that's by and large a needle in a haystack problem," he says.

"We're looking for something that is likely exceedingly rare, and may be very difficult to find and extract from the background phenomena that you're observing at the same time."

But new tools are helping the search. The ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to both handle massive datasets - and to spot anomalies - is transforming the hunt for alien intelligence.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68346015

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