TOKYO – Former Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi said Wednesday the growth in artificial intelligence technologies is set to have an impact on space ventures in an age of commercialization and increased competition in the space field.
Noguchi, who is now chief technical officer of the Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies, said on a webinar hosted by The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation in Washington that the information technology and AI fields are growing fast.
“AI will eventually come to space exploration,” he said.
While noting that AI use is currently limited on the space station, he added, “Hopefully, those new changes in IT and AI will help us in the coming age on the lunar surface.”
Noguchi, who took three space flights during his astronaut career, also emphasized that Japan and the United States’s space partnership is essential to maintain a peaceful and sustainable space domain.
“This partnership represents more than a technical progression. It reflects shared values, openness, peaceful exploration and the belief that space should benefit all humanity,” he said.
In the seminar, space experts from government and academic fields shared their insights on how the U.S.-Japan partnership has evolved and where it should head from security and commercial perspectives.
Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and President Donald Trump reaffirmed their commitment to advance their partnership in the space field when they met in Washington.
AloJapan.com