The Mars rover Perseverance is using AI-powered technology and tools controlled by NASA on Earth in order to better understand which rocks to examine for potential data relating to microbial life in the planet’s past.

Using a methodology called ‘adaptive sampling,’ AI-powered software supports the PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) spectrometer so that it can accurately approach the rocks it wants to sample.

AI also helps the Mars rover navigate the red planet.

“For almost three years, the rover mission has been testing a form of artificial intelligence that seeks out minerals in the Red Planet’s rocks. This marks the first time AI has been used on Mars to make autonomous decisions based on real-time analysis of rock composition,” said NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in a blog post.

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The data could help scientists decide which samples from Mars they want to bring back to our planet, to study them further and learn more about Earth’s neighbouring planet.

“Mars is a great place to test out AI since we have regular communications each day, giving us a chance to make tweaks along the way,” said scientist David Thompson of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

However, key discoveries can also take place seemingly by accident.

In late May, the Curiosity rover on Mars—which also uses AI—d​rove over rocks and ended up breaking them, only to reveal pure sulfur inside. Scientists were stunned by the discovery, as it can provide more clues about the red planet’s geography and composition.