The dominant paradigm in AI ethics and value alignment is highly anthropocentric. The focus of these disciplines is strictly on human values which limits the depth and breadth of their insights. Recently, attempts to expand to a sentientist perspective have been initiated. We argue that neither of these outlooks is sufficient to capture the actual complexity of the biosphere and ensure that AI does not damage it. Thus, we propose a new paradigm -- Biospheric AI that assumes an ecocentric perspective. We discuss hypothetical ways in which such an AI might be designed. Moreover, we give directions for research and application of the modern AI models that would be consistent with the biospheric interests. All in all, this work attempts to take first steps towards a comprehensive program of research that focuses on the interactions between AI and the biosphere.

Off the Italian coast, something amazing is happening under the surface of the sea. Resembling a bloom of giant jellyfish anchored to the ocean floor, a new form of agriculture is growing in Nemo's Garden. These large clear domes, or biospheres, are a unique new type of underwater greenhouse. These biospheres harness the positive environmental factors of the ocean – temperature stability, evaporative fresh-water generation, CO2 absorption, and natural protection from pests – to create an environment ideal for growing all manner of produce. The brainchild behind Nemo's Garden is Sergio Gamberini, president of diving equipment manufacturer Ocean Reef, who in 2012 was challenged by a friend to combine his experiencing designing diving equipment with his passion for gardening – but he had no idea that it would turn into a new business with a vision of creating more food for the population.

STOCKHOLM – Silicon Valley leaders tell us that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will bring untold benefits. They say it is already underway and accelerating, powered by artificial intelligence and other technologies, and warn that we will be left eating dust if we don't get with the program. The prevailing consensus among Israelis that Palestinian nationalism had been defeated – and thus that a political solution to the conflict was no longer necessary – lies in tatters. And even as the violence escalates, it has become clear to both sides that the era of glorious wars and victories is over. This upheaval – which also reflects the impact of robotics, bio- and nanotechnology, 5G, and the Internet of Things (IoT) – is a general-purpose revolution.

Last year, about a month into the pandemic, I reached for something comforting: the 1992 science-fiction novel "Red Mars," by Kim Stanley Robinson. I'd first read it as a teen-ager, and had reread it a handful of times by my early twenties. Along with its two sequels, "Green Mars" and "Blue Mars," the novel follows the first settlers to reach the red planet. They establish cities, break away from Earth's control, and transform the arid surface into a garden oasis, setting up a new society in the course of a couple hundred years. On the cover of my well-worn copy, Arthur C. Clarke declared it "the best novel on the colonization of Mars that has ever been written."

The intensive fires in the Amazon, the rapid melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and continued loss of biodiversity all illustrate that our planet is changing at a dangerous pace. At the same time, we are entering a period of unprecedented technological change. Artificial intelligence (AI) in combination with sensor technology and robotics are likely to change the way we all perceive and respond to social and environmental changes. How can we ensure that applications of artificial intelligence help us address these urgent challenges? On Oct. 15, Princeton University joined representatives from U.S. and Swedish academia, Swedish government, Google, Ericsson, USAID, U.N. Development Programme and U.N. Global Pulse, to launch a project that will explore how applications of artificial intelligence can help accelerate innovations in line with targets set by the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

The intensive fires in the Amazon, the rapid melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and continued loss of biodiversity all illustrate that our planet is changing at a dangerous pace. At the same time, we are entering a period of unprecedented technological change. Artificial intelligence (AI) in combination with sensor technology and robotics are likely to change the way we all perceive and respond to social and environmental changes. How can we ensure that applications of artificial intelligence help us address these urgent challenges? On Oct. 15, Princeton University joined representatives from U.S. and Swedish academia, Swedish government, Google, Ericsson, USAID, U.N. Development Programme, and U.N. Global Pulse, to launch a project that will explore how applications of artificial intelligence can help accelerate innovations in line with targets set by the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

Can a planet be alive? Lynn Margulis, a giant of late 20th-century biology, who had an incandescent intellect that veered toward the unorthodox, thought so. She and chemist James Lovelock together theorized that life must be a planet-altering phenomenon and the distinction between the "living" and "nonliving" parts of Earth is not as clear-cut as we think. Many members of the scientific community derided their theory, called the Gaia hypothesis, as pseudoscience, and questioned their scientific integrity. But now Margulis and Lovelock may have their revenge. Recent scientific discoveries are giving us reason to take this hypothesis more seriously. At its core is an insight about the relationship between planets and life that has changed our understanding of both, and is shaping how we look for life on other worlds.

Can a planet be alive? Lynn Margulis, a giant of late 20th-century biology, who had an incandescent intellect that veered toward the unorthodox, thought so. She and chemist James Lovelock together theorized that life must be a planet-altering phenomenon and the distinction between the "living" and "nonliving" parts of Earth is not as clear-cut as we think. Many members of the scientific community derided their theory, called the Gaia hypothesis, as pseudoscience, and questioned their scientific integrity. But now Margulis and Lovelock may have their revenge. Recent scientific discoveries are giving us reason to take this hypothesis more seriously. At its core is an insight about the relationship between planets and life that has changed our understanding of both, and is shaping how we look for life on other worlds.

Mars is currently inhabited by an estimated 1 million microbes. They coat the surfaces and crowd the innards of our robotic landers and rovers, which international policy requires to be cleaned, but not fully sterilized. The bugs are dormant, but viable. If Mars warmed up and water began to flow again, these microorganisms would revive and reproduce. And it is within our power to make that happen.

When H.G. Wells wrote about aliens, his wild imaginings were shaped by Darwin's theory of evolution. In The War of the Worlds, giant Martian invaders with whip-like arms are threatened by extinction and so expand into a new ecological niche by colonizing other planets, notably Earth. What led Wells to these majestic speculations, inspiring science-fiction buffs and also many scientists to this day? But does evolution operate the same on life everywhere? The success of Darwinian theory to explain life on Earth has lulled many of us into thinking that it must be.