[BEEPING SOUNDS]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Greetings.
Bill Nye here with my friend and colleague, Robert Picardo.
We're discussing space, Artificial Intelligence,
and more.
Today, we'll be talking about how
AI could provide added safety to space exploration and the ways
that it may help humans go farther than ever before.
We've talked about how the future of space exploration
will be done primarily by machines.
But there will come another day when humans actually
step out of a spacecraft onto another world.
And when that day comes, AI and machine learning
will be crucial to keep them safe on their journey.
Space is a dangerous place for us terrestrial beings.
We have this odd tendency to want food, water, air,
and other petty comforts--
--which raises the question, while we humans are
busy eating, sleeping, and breathing on the spaceship,
who's at the wheel?
Yes, who's driving?
That's why we'll want to run in auto pilot as much as we can.
And that's where AI and machine learning come in.
With Artificial Intelligence, an astronaut
can stop worrying about many of the necessities of space
exploration-- stuff like life support systems, navigation,
and handling of potentially dangerous situations.
Instead, the human can just kick back, relax,
and handle the science that requires
a much more nuanced approach.
So humans can do what humans do best.
And robots can do what robots do best.
That's really the main job of AI,
maximizing efficiency and simplifying
laborious, time-consuming tasks.
Indeed.
All right.
Bill, you know that I love to sing opera.
Oh, yes.
Yes.
I'm a big fan of your Cassini farewell opera.
Well, thank you, Bill.
You have a very low entertainment threshold.
Now, when I sing, I trust that the orchestra
is playing their part to support me
and to make me sound my best.
So I like to think of AI being the orchestra in space.
Human explorers can do their best work
when the AI is backing them.
Oh, Bob, Bob, that's beautiful.
Kind of makes you want to cry.
Yes.
Thank you.
So as we hope to go farther and further from the earth
into our solar system, AI is necessary to lower
overall mission costs and to keep our astronauts safe.
And, of course, with more aspects of a spacecraft
automated, a smaller crew will be possible,
making human-piloted missions at least
a little more feasible in the grand scheme of things.
Yeah, an AI assistant to bounce questions and ideas off
of helps humans stay more engaged.
(IMITATING ROBOT) Bill, I am Bob-to,
your AI assistant that will make you feel more engaged.
Eh.
(IMITATING ROBOT) Do you feel more engaged, Bill?
Bill, please respond.
Do you feel more engaged?
I feel more engaged, Bob.
Now that I've thought about it, it's not such a good idea.
We've reached the end of our series.
We hope you have learned a lot about AI and space exploration.
If you're looking for ways you can
continue to interact with AI and better the future of machine
learning, then be sure to check out the Intel AI Academy.
And of course, while you're at it,
why not join the Planetary Society?
Bob, take us out with a song.
(SINGING) Our series on AI is done now.
So--
(TOGETHER) Goodbye.
OK.
We'll work again, just not soon.
Yeah.
This goes on the internet.
It's there forever.
Oh my god.