NASA leaders touted the benefits of using AI during a town hall meeting on Wednesday, but stressed that the new technology will be used in a responsible way that doesn't replace the space agency's skilled workforce.
Attorney General Bill Nelson stressed that the company is taking seriously the president's directive to integrate AI with a focus on “security, transparency and trust.”
Deputy Chief Pam Melroy put it a bit more succinctly, quoting Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Head of AI: David Salvagnini, who was named the agency's first chief AI officer this month, also took part in the town hall and explained how he sees his new role fitting into the agency's existing mission.
“If NASA is a symphony orchestra, I'm the conductor, harmonizing the different instruments and sections of the orchestra so that we're all facing in the same direction,” he said.
His duties include:
- Driving innovative uses of AI at NASA
- Establish a governance structure to ensure AI is used responsibly
- Provide AI learning opportunities for NASA employees
Example of use: Katherine Calvin, NASA's chief scientist, said AI is particularly good at spotting anomalies if humans train computers what to look for. This includes scouring satellite images to spot and track wildfire smoke and counting the number of trees in a particular area.
In both cases, AI is taking over mundane, repetitive tasks, freeing people to work on more important jobs, officials said.
Inside the loop: One of NASA's biggest messages to workers seemed to be that the algorithms aren't coming for their jobs. Officials stressed that the technology will be used alongside humans, not replacing them, especially since AI can make mistakes.
“We're not outsourcing thinking to AI,” Salvagnini said.
