NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a man frequently tasked with keeping our eyes on the stars while our feet remain on the ground, has suggested that the mysterious world of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs for acronym enthusiasts, might get a bit busier in the coming years thanks to artificial intelligence and increasingly sophisticated technology. Because what the world needed now was smarter machines hunting for stranger things.
Speaking at the recent NASA UAP briefing, Nelson said that as sensors get sharper and computers get brainier, we may start detecting even more of these unexplained flying question marks. It is a bit like giving Sherlock Holmes a microscope and asking him to investigate the contents of the sky. “We’re applying AI and machine learning to look through old data,” said Nelson, sounding very much like someone hoping AI might find E.T. lurking in a grainy 2004 radar clip.
The space agency, which famously makes billion-dollar equipment sound like PowerPoint accessories, released its independent study by 16 experts last year but insisted it had found no evidence that UAPs are the interstellar equivalent of spring break tourists. They did, however, admit there is a gap in data and a surplus of speculation larger than most conspiracy theory YouTube comment sections, hence the embrace of cutting-edge tech with the fervour of someone who just discovered ChatGPT can write haikus about Area 51.
While Nelson was careful not to stoke more cosmic fire, he did confirm that the new director of UAP research, whose identity was once top-secret enough to join Witness Protection, is now firmly on the job, presumably armed with charts, algorithms and the patience of a saint. The goal? To remove the stigma and bring some science back to what is currently a chaotic blend of blurry videos, enthusiastic amateurs and congressional hearings that feel like deleted scenes from The X-Files.
So while little green men have yet to RSVP to any official NASA events, it appears there will be more eyes in the skies and more brains behind the data. The truth may not be out there yet, but it is definitely getting a new analytics dashboard.
Coming soon: Close Encounters of the AI-Kind.