Researchers investigate signs of extraterrestrial life using artificial intelligence

In a paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy , researchers at the US-based Seti Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Life) used machine learning to try to identify signs of life on other planets. By applying a deep learning technique to a previously studied set of nearby stars, scientists discovered eight previously unidentified signals of interest.

According to Douglas Galante, professor and researcher at the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials, associated with the Center for Research in Astrobiology at USP, in order to identify life on other planets, we need to look for specific signs. “Life has chemically altered planet Earth, transforming the atmosphere into an oxygen-rich atmosphere. The chemical signal of oxygen is a clear signal for the planet of the presence of life, ”he explains. Therefore, looking for signs such as oxygen on other planets is one of the starting points.

However, “what this group did was look for techno signatures, that is, technological signatures of the presence of life”, clarifies the professor when he states that, in the recently published study, the Seti Institute did not seek to identify microscopic beings, but technological civilizations .

In the new work, the researchers developed extraterrestrial intelligent search techniques using the Seti radio, used in the search for radio signals possibly emitted by communicating civilizations, whether for internal or interplanetary communication. For part of the scientific community, the premise of this investigation is based on the idea that technological civilizations, at some point, will experience the development of radio technology. According to this theory, Galante clarifies, they would emit electromagnetic waves from their planet of origin and, therefore, it would be possible to identify them.

AIs and the Future of Space Exploration
Since the Seti Institute’s experiments began in 1960, technological advances have allowed researchers to collect more and more data. And analyzing this massive amount of information requires the application of new computational tools, such as AI, which have great processing capacity.

However, “dark” signals caused by terrestrial radio interference remain an obstacle in the search for extraterrestrial life. Therefore, in works like the most recent one, scientists used improved artificial intelligence algorithms, which not only look for repetitive patterns, but also eliminate signals caused by contamination of the Earth. “The Seti project looks for characteristic signs of a technology that is trying to communicate using algorithms that are more intelligent than in the past”, reinforces the professor when stating that, in astrobiology, the use of artificial intelligence is positive because it makes repetitive processes easier.

With regard to the face-to-face search for signs of life, Galante mentions robots that scour the surface of other planets in the solar system and that, with the help of AI, would no longer need human command to make decisions. “If a robot on the surface of a planet had very advanced artificial intelligence, it could make its own decisions: where to go, what to look for, what to collect, what to measure”, he illustrates when concluding that artificial intelligences will certainly be part of of the future of space exploration.