No, AI won't replace astronauts – and here's why - DataScienceCentral.com

AI will close the gap with human capabilities in the next few decades and surpass them in many domains. This will lead to a reduced need for astronauts, giving mankind a choice to "ride-along" as adventurers or stay at home on the couch watching robots boldly go where no man has gone before. This is the prediction of science writer Donald Goldsmith and astronomer Martin Rees in their new book The End of Astronauts [1]. However, while it's likely that we'll see an increase in AI space missions, humans' obsessive desire for exploration means that we're not likely to see the complete demise of astronauts. AI has come a long way since Alan Turing's mid-1920s vision of "Intelligent Machinery," and it's improving exponentially.