Exploring the Frontier: Using AI to Communicate with Extraterrestrial Life

Jul 21, 2024

Exploring the Frontier: Using AI to Communicate with Extraterrestrial Life
Exploring the Frontier: Using AI to Communicate with Extraterrestrial Life
Exploring the Frontier: Using AI to Communicate with Extraterrestrial Life

The idea of using AI to communicate with extraterrestrial life involves updating the method of sending messages into space. Instead of physical records like Voyager's golden disc, scientists Franck Marchis and Ignacio Lopez-Francos propose using a large language model (LLM) to create an interactive, digital historical record. This would allow potential extraterrestrial civilizations to ask questions and learn about Earth interactively. The concept faces challenges, including how to transmit large amounts of data over interstellar distances and the choice of which AI model would best represent humanity. The scientists suggest that while current technology supports data transmission speeds adequate near Earth, speeds would drastically reduce over interstellar distances, making the process much slower without advanced data compression techniques.