Pervasive Computing in Space

Imagine “astronauts working in a lunar habitat with Internet of Things devices.” In response to such a simple prompt, within seconds a generative AI rendered the image above, which enamored this issue's guest editors with its fanciful, seemingly humorous depiction of what appears to be a pair of space-suited engineers engaged in something like a hackathon while sitting in the lunar dust with coffee cups nearby. Beyond being a fun way to kick off this Special Issue on Pervasive Computing in Space, this image underscores how quickly world-changing technology is now being unleashed. Just within the last year or so, AI has moved beyond mastering niche applications and into popular use with increasingly sophisticated chatbots and image-generating environments that win art contests alongside humans. Regardless of the intensifying discussion this sparks about machine creativity and intelligence, AI has now become a quickly moving landscape. We do not know how far this ride will go and where the next roadblocks, always close-at-hand in previous years, will manifest.