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Satellite-based disaster monitoring has been a slow and tedious process for decades. The process consists of capturing images, transmitting them back to Earth, and relying on human analysts to interpret the data. This often led to first responders receiving critical information, often too late to act effectively. But AI is now revolutionizing satellite operations in space, aiding real-time image processing and autonomous decision-making. NASAs latest space venture focuses on AI-powered autonomous satellites that can operate without human oversight. In collaboration with Ireland-based satellite intelligence startup Ubotica, NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has developed Dynamic Targeting, an AI-driven system that allows satellites to process image data onboard, potentially enhancing disaster response. Dynamic Targeting was recently tested in real-world scenarios, including the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles and the Valencia floods. The AI system was integrated in CogniSAT-6 satellite, a 6-unit cubesat developed by Ubotica and NASA JPL, and autonomously processed data onboard and transmitted insights to Earth within minutes. At the core of CogniSAT-6 lies Live Earth Intelligence (LEI)Uboticas onboard processing platform that integrates AI agents into Earth observation satellites. Paired with SPACE:AI, an end-to-end vision processing framework, the architecture transforms conventional satellites into always-connected observers, enabling rapid decision-making. With LEI, we can quickly deploy and run AI models from third parties directly in orbit. By leveraging Inter-Satellite Links (ISL), these insights reach the right people faster, ensuring critical information gets where its needed, exactly when its needed, Fintan Buckley, CEO of Ubotica, told Fast Company. Were at an inflection point. Satellites will no longer just observe; theyll analyse, interpret, and respond in real time. Dynamic Targeting: The Future of AI-Powered Earth Observation CogniSAT-6s Dynamic Targeting system can analyze lookahead images in as little as 50 seconds. Buckley added that if one satellite cant capture the image due to cloud cover, the AI system alerts others to try on their next pass, removing the need for operators to retask satellites manually. In mixed constellations, the system can even switch to radar imaging (SAR) when clouds are an issue, ensuring data is still collected. “With Dynamic Targeting, the satellite first takes a quick, low-resolution ‘look-ahead’ image, and onboard AI analyzes it for cloud cover. If the target area is clear, the satellite locks on and captures a high-resolution image. If not, it discards the request, conserving bandwidth and storage, explained Buckley. During the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, identifying smoke plumes through autonomous imaging allowed emergency teams to monitor the fires spread effectively. Likewise, during the Valencia floods, the AI swiftly estimated that 21% of the observed area near Valencia was flooded, and sent down accurate flood data immediately to Earth. “AI-powered satellites can analyze a scene and deliver insights to the ground within minutes, making Earth observation viable in situations where other imaging methods fall short,” said Buckley. “These satellites will soon be integrated with insights from other sources to create an accurate, up to date, view of the situation on the ground to support the responders to manage the situation. The partnership between Ubotica and NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) began in 2022, when they collaborated to test AI-driven image processing aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Under a $632,000 contract with NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab in California, Ubotica is currently preparing for the first live in-orbit test of Dynamic Targeting in early 2025 through CogniSAT-6. U.S. vs. China: The Geopolitical Race for Space Intelligence While NASA and Ubotica are pushing the boundaries of satellite technology, they face competition from China. The country has been aggressively deploying its own AI-powered Earth observation satellites, Tiantuo and Zhuhai. Operated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and commercial partner Zhuhai Orbita, has already incorporated AI-driven image processing similar to NASA JPLs initiatives. The geopolitical implications of this race are profound, as autonomous satellites can also provide strategic intelligence on environmental changes, maritime security, and even military movements. NASA JPL and Ubotica, however, are actively collaborating with defense agencies across the U.S. and Europe, to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness. Their AI-powered satellites are playing a crucial role in securing maritime assets such as underwater cables, offshore wind farms, and detecting suspicious vessel activity. It is important to safeguard the vast network of underwater high-speed communication cables, as they often subject to accidental or deliberate damage, Buckley added. The key is to identify and warn off vessels before any damage occurs, and if an incident happens, track and hold the offending vessel accountable. However, this leap in technology also raises critical questions about the reliability of AI decision-making in life-or-death situations. Can AI be Trusted Without Human Oversight? Traditionally, Earth observation has relied on human judgment to verify and interpret satellite data. AI-powered autonomous systems could misclassify minor weather shifts as emergencies or overlook critical events due to biased training data. Despite these concerns, Buckley claims that AI autonomy is inevitable. Human oversight will eventually become obsolete, Buckley told Fast Company. But like almost every other disruptive technology, it will take much longer than anticipated for this to happen. To mitigate AI errors, Uboticas Dynamic Targeting system integrates multiple safeguards through its Live Earth Intelligence (LEI) framework. A built-in Neural Network Supervisor constantly monitors AI outputs, discarding insights that fall outside trained parameters. The system also cross-validates insights by incorporating data from multiple sources rather than relying solely on satellite imagery, he explained. The system ensures continuous learning and improvement by actively selecting images to enhance future model performance. NASAs bet on AI is a bold leap into uncharted territory that could redefine how we monitor our planet and respond to crises. As Buckley explained, AIs role isnt just about analyzing satellite imagery; its about coordinating real-time responses. With Dynamic Targeting, we can command other satellites in a constellation to provide real-time updates as a fire develops. Could this capability extend to drones responding to wildfires? Absolutely.
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E-Commerce
The British government on Wednesday called the Trump administration’s tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports “disappointing,” but said that it won’t impose retaliatory measures.Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, however, did not rule out future tariffs on U.S. imports and said he would “continue to engage closely and productively with the U.S. to press the case for U.K. business interests.”“We will keep all options on the table and won’t hesitate to respond in the national interest,” Reynolds said.Treasury Minister James Murray echoed that, telling Times Radio: “We reserve our right to retaliate.”Britain is not part of the European Union, which Wednesday announced import taxes on American goods, ranging from steel and aluminum to bourbon, peanut butter, and jeans in response to Trump’s move.Center-left U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has worked to build strong ties with President Donald Trump, in hope of avoiding the tariffs levied on many other U.S. trading partners.After a meeting last month at the White House, Trump and Starmer said their governments would work on sealing a long-elusive U.S.-U.K. trade deal.Reynolds said the government remains “focused on a pragmatic approach and are rapidly negotiating a wider economic agreement with the U.S. to eliminate additional tariffs and to benefit U.K. businesses and our economy.”The tariffs are a new blow for Britain’s once-mighty steel industry, which has shrunk dramatically from its 1970s peak and now accounts for 0.1% of the economy. Thousands of jobs are due to be lost at the country’s biggest steelworks, at Port Talbot in Wales, as owner Tata Steel tries to make the unprofitable plant leaner and greener.Trade body UK Steel said that in 2024, Britain exported 180,000 metric tons (198,000 U.S. tons) of steel to the United States, about 7% of the U.K.’s total steel exports by volume and 9% by value. The aluminum industry says the U.S. market accounts for 10% of U.K. exports. Jill Lawless, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
The European Union on Wednesday announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products, responding within hours to the Trump administration’s increase in tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25%.The world’s biggest trading bloc was expecting the U.S. tariffs and prepared in advance, but the measures still place great strain on already tense transatlantic relations. Only last month, Washington warned Europe that it would have to take care of its own security in the future.The EU measures will cover goods from the United States worth some 26 billion euros ($28 billion), and not just steel and aluminum products, but also textiles, home appliances, and agricultural goods. Motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter, and jeans will be hit, as they were during President Donald Trump’s first term.The EU duties aim for pressure points in the U.S. while minimizing additional damage to Europe. The tariffstaxes on importsprimarily target Republican-held states, hitting soybeans in House speaker Mike Johnson’s Louisiana, but also beef and poultry in Kansas and Nebraska. Produce in Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia is also on the list. The EU moves to protect itself European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement that the bloc “will always remain open to negotiation.”“As the U.S. are applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros,” she said. The commission manages trade and commercial conflicts on behalf of the 27 member EU countries.“We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs,” von der Leyen said.Trump said his taxes would help create U.S. factory jobs, but von der Leyen said: “Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States.”“We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy,” she said. American business group urges talks The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU said the U.S. tariffs and EU countermeasures “will only harm jobs, prosperity, and security on both sides of the Atlantic.”“The two sides must de-escalate and find a negotiated outcome urgently,” the chamber said Wednesday. What will actually happen? Trump slapped similar tariffs on EU steel and aluminum during his first term in office, which enraged European and other allies. The EU also imposed countermeasures in retaliation at the time, raising tariffs on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter, and jeans, among other items.This time, the EU action will involve two steps. First, on April 1, the commission will reintroduce what it calls “rebalancing measures,” which the EU had from 2018 and 2020 but which were suspended under the Biden administration. Then on April 13 come the additional duties targeting 18 billion euros ($19.6 billion) in U.S. exports to the bloc.EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič traveled to Washington last month in an effort to head off the tariffs, meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other top trade officials.He said on Wednesday that it became clear during the trip “that the EU is not the problem.”“I argued to avoid the unnecessary burden of measures and countermeasures, but you need a partner for that. You need both hands to clap,” Šefčovič told reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. European steel companies brace for losses The EU could lose up to 3.7 million tons of steel exports, according to the European steel association Eurofer. The U.S. is the second biggest export market for EU steel producers, representing 16% of the total EU steel exports.The EU estimates that annual trade volume between both sides stands at about $1.5 trillion, representing some 30% of global trade. While the bloc has a substantial export surplus in goods, it says that is partly offset by the U.S. surplus in the trade of services.Britain, which isn’t part of the EU, meanwhile said it won’t impose retaliatory measures of its own on the U.S. British Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Wednesday he would “continue to engage closely and productively with the U.S. to press the case for U.K. business interests.”He did not rule out future tariffs on U.S. imports, saying “we will keep all options on the table and won’t hesitate to respond in the national interest.” McHugh reported from Frankfurt. Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report. This story corrects Maroš Šefčovič’s title to EU trade commissioner, not European Commission vice president. Lorne Cook and David McHugh, Associated Press
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