 | 🤖 AI Insights from the Brains at SpaceNews 🧠 | | | | | | Tricks, Treats, and Timely AI Updates 🎃
Happy Halloween! 🎃 As AI creeps further into industries from space to cybersecurity, today's issue gives you the "treat" of high-level insights without the "tricks." In Google's latest move, over a quarter of new code is now AI-generated, while NASA and defense leaders discuss how AI is evolving from digital assistant to an increasingly essential tool.
We're here to help you stay on top of AI's biggest moves across sectors. Whether you're interested in the latest breakthroughs, potential security risks, or space-based applications, there's something here for everyone in the AI and space community. Enjoy—and stay spooky! 👻
Ad Astra et Ultra, Cum AI 🤖🚀
— Brian Berger, SpaceNews editor-in-chief
P.S. If you haven't signed up for the SpaceNext: AI newsletter yet, now's the time! Soon, this newsletter will be available exclusively to our opt-in subscribers—don't miss out on staying informed about the latest in space and AI. Sign up today!
| | |  | | | AI Security in Space: Guarding the Galaxy (and Satellites)
From protecting sensitive data to ensuring mission success, AI security is no small feat. Speaking Oct. 23 at the MilSat Symposium, retired Maj. Gen. Kim Crider, founding partner of Elara Nova and former chief technology and information officer of the U.S. Space Force, emphasized the critical importance of cybersecurity in AI systems, particularly for space applications. Her insights underscored the potential vulnerabilities within both AI models and the data they depend on, and the need for continuous vigilance to guard against adversarial threats. -
Protecting the Model Itself: Crider highlighted the model's vulnerability. "Certainly we need to think about protecting the model itself," she said. "The software can be attacked, hacked, and compromised, potentially causing it to operate in unintended ways. The model itself is basically software that has to be protected, monitored, and evaluated on a continuous basis." -
Data Integrity and Malicious Interference: Crider warned that "data could be poisoned by design. It could be hacked into. Bad data could be introduced, affecting the model," underscoring the importance of guarding against both unintentional errors and malicious interference. -
Resilience Against Adversaries: As space grows more contested, Crider emphasized AI resilience. "Certainly, that is an area I think adversaries will continue to look to compromise, especially as our systems rely on artificial intelligence to derive specific outcomes or create certain effects." -
Anomaly Detection for Security: To counter these risks, Crider recommends using AI-driven anomaly detection to flag irregularities in data, whether caused by data drift or targeted attacks. With AI now integral to satellite operations and cybersecurity, staying ahead of these risks is mission-critical. How prepared is the industry? And what steps should come next?
🛰️ Ready to lock down your systems? Let's keep this convo going!
| | | AI and Space: Lockheed Martin Ventures' Take
In a world of big promises, Lockheed Martin Ventures (LMV) is keeping it real on AI in space. Speaking with SpaceNews for the Commercial Space Transformers series, LMV Vice President Chris Moran revealed the company's selective approach, focusing on specialized AI applications that serve real-world defense and aerospace needs. -
Cooperative Teaming & Swarming: Moran highlighted AI-driven strategies like cooperative teaming and swarming—technologies designed to orchestrate groups of assets working in unison—as high-impact areas for space and defense. -
Avoiding "AI Snake Oil": "There's so much focus on AI right now, I hate to say it, but there's a lot of AI snake oil, too. Companies are renaming themselves AI, and when you look under the hood, there's not much differentiating on there," Moran shared. He stressed that LMV zeroes in on projects with concrete defense and aerospace impact, steering clear of flashy but hollow AI claims. For a closer look at AI's place in space innovation, check out the full conversation between Moran and Commercial Space Transformers host and SpaceNews Senior Staff Writer Jason Rainbow on SpaceNews.com or the SpaceNews YouTube channel. | | | | 📰 AI News Roundup
This curated roundup provides high-level situational awareness of key AI industry trends and developments, along with space-specific news from respected sources.
💼 AI in Industry Transformation
Google's AI Generates Over 25% of New Code
Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that over a quarter of Google's new code is now AI-generated, with human engineers reviewing these outputs. This shift, shared in Google's Q3 2024 earnings call, is improving efficiency while keeping human oversight to mitigate AI-generated bugs. A Stack Overflow survey echoes the trend, showing 76% of developers using AI in coding. [Ars Technica]
Workers Rely on AI as "Super Users" for Productivity Gains
"Super users" are harnessing tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to streamline tasks, with some professionals reclaiming up to 15 hours weekly. However, concerns around AI accuracy, data privacy, and job security persist, highlighting the need for responsible AI integration in workplaces. [The Washington Post]
AI Reshapes the Factory Floor for Efficiency and Sustainability
AI-driven innovations, from predictive maintenance to digital twins, are transforming factory operations, improving productivity and reducing costs. The World Economic Forum's Global Lighthouse Network recently added 22 sites where companies report benefits such as reduced downtime, lower emissions, and fewer defects, with some AI deployments achieving up to 90% cost savings in automation. [World Economic Forum]
🚀 AI in Space and Defense
STRATCOM Eyes AI to Reinforce Nuclear Command and Control
AI may soon support the U.S. nuclear command and control infrastructure, said Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, head of STRATCOM. AI integration could streamline decision-making and cybersecurity, although human oversight will remain critical given the complex nature of these systems. [Air & Space Forces Magazine]
AI-Enhanced Satellites to Track "Dark Ships"
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' AIRIS system aims to improve the detection of "dark ships" that disable AIS tracking to avoid detection. Using AI-driven Earth-observation cameras, AIRIS will monitor and selectively relay data on suspicious vessels in real-time, potentially aiding in efforts against illegal fishing and piracy. [MHI Group's Spectra]
Proteus Space Taps GomSpace for AI-Designed Satellite Mission
Proteus Space selected GomSpace North America for its AI-driven satellite mission, marking the first deployment of Proteus's MERCURY platform. This platform autonomously chose GomSpace based on reliability and technical fit for the project, valued at $250,000. The mission, which includes payloads from government and academic partners, is targeted for an October 2025 launch. [GomSpace PR]
💰 Funding and Future Visions
SoftBank CEO Forecasts Artificial Superintelligence by 2035
At a Riyadh conference, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son predicted artificial superintelligence (ASI) with capabilities 10,000 times greater than the human brain could exist by 2035. Realizing this vision would require hundreds of billions in investments, while Son stressed the untapped value of Nvidia in this context. SoftBank's Vision Fund, however, faces hurdles with a $2.4 billion loss reported in June 2024. [Reuters]
Lumen Orbit Raises $10M for AI Data Centers in Space
Lumen Orbit has secured over $10 million to develop solar-powered, space-based data centers for training AI models, aiming for 5GW capacity by leveraging 24/7 solar availability. Partnering with Nvidia's Inception program, the startup plans a demo satellite in 2025 to address the high energy costs of terrestrial AI processing. [DCD][TechCrunch]
Bifrost Raises $8M to Speed AI Training with 3D Simulations
San Francisco-based Bifrost announced an $8 million Series A to advance its 3D data-generation platform, enabling AI training in robotics and industrial applications to move from months to hours. Bifrost's approach addresses the expense of real-world data collection by providing virtual environments for rapid adaptation. [Bifrost PR]
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks Funding, Eyes $40B Valuation
Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is reportedly seeking additional funding at a valuation of $40 billion, reflecting fierce competition as generative AI firms vie for capital to meet computing demands. OpenAI recently secured $6.6 billion, raising its valuation to $157 billion. [The Wall Street Journal]
| | | A Digital Assistant for NASA
"I see an acceptance of AI as the digital assistant, that capability that is going to enable every member of the workforce to be more effective with their time."
– Dave Salvagnini, NASA Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, on adopting AI for efficiency and empowerment, speaking at the Federal Executive Forum on government AI strategies.
| | |  | | | | About SpaceNext AI
SpaceNext AI is a weekly newsletter that explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the space industry. We provide concise and insightful coverage on AI's impact on space exploration and technology.
How We Use AI
While we use AI tools to streamline research and drafting, every piece of content is thoroughly reviewed and refined by me. I think of AI as an assistant that helps gather information and identify trends, but every insight and decision is guided by my editorial judgment. I'm here to ensure that our content remains accurate, engaging, and focused on what matters most to our readers. | | | | | | | | Discover More
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