Artificial intelligence bot trained to recognize galaxies

Researchers have taught an artificial intelligence program used to recognise faces on Facebook to identify galaxies in deep space. The result is an AI bot named ClaRAN that scans images taken by radio telescopes. Its job is to spot radio galaxies--galaxies that emit powerful radio jets from supermassive black holes at their centres. ClaRAN is the brainchild of big data specialist Dr. Chen Wu and astronomer Dr. Ivy Wong, both from The University of Western Australia node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). Dr. Wong said black holes are found at the centre of most, if not all, galaxies.